Haunted by the Land Lobster

My magical eight days of feasts (see Sept. 19: Eight Days in September) came to a wonderful end on Sunday with a scrumptious dinner with ckd at Langley's on the Green in downtown Windsor. (Thanks again, guys, for the treat.) Langley's boasts fabulous food/wine, beautiful decor, and great service. PLUS they do two or thing different things. (You do one different thing, you catch my attention; you do two or three things differently than all the other restaurants and you turn me into a stark raving fan.) (And best of all, National Speak Like a Pirate Day had thankfully passed, so ckd were back to their normal selves.)

One thing struck me more than any other during our dinner. The conversation among the four of us varied widely. Among the topics that popped up was another common dinner that we had shared earlier in the year, a wonderful feast hosted by Richard and Leslie Mansfield of Mansfield Winery fame (see July 19: My Cup Runneth Over). And what, of that dinner, in particular was still on our minds---was still haunting us, in other words? I was thinking it, and cd said it: the escargot.

So it's time to talk turkey when it comes to, what escargot producer Henri Maire calls the "Land Lobster." Here's a blurb about Henri Maire escargot:

As with all gastronomic delicacies, escargots exhibit varying levels of quality. Henri Marie's snails maintain an unwavering reputation for incomparable products. Their formula is quite simple. They begin with authentic Burgundy snails (Hélix Pomatia Linne), found only in the wild in southeastern France. They are then hand-sorted by size, washed, and cooked in an aromatic bouillon according to the same ancestral standards used in 1894. There are 116 types of edible snails, and the Helix Pomatia Linne is the unanimously proclaimed #1 in terms of flavor and texture. Nicknamed the "Land Lobster", it exhibits a similar texture to lobster, with an earthier flavor. These escargots are 100% natural, 100% organic, low-carb (Atkin’s friendly) and have very high nutritive levels. This tin of "Extra Large" size escargot contains 36 snails.

Where to buy these? Check out the Potironne company.

The next time I'm in Paris, of course I must visit l'Escargot Montorgueil. (Check out their menu with all the snail, er, escargot variations.

And finally, a classic escargot recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2 cup white wine

2 tablespoons minced shallots

2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons butter

12 snails, removed from shells and rinsed twice in a weak solution of vinegar and water.

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, reduce the wine, shallots, and garlic to a thick syrup.

2. Gradually, add the butter, stirring constantly to form an emulsification.

3. Add the snails and cook for 5-7 minutes.

Serve immediately with the sauce and plenty of French bread.

Serves 2

Ah, escargot--the distribution system for butter and garlic!

Note: Pic of escargot above compliments of AP, during her visit to France this summer.