Does anyone know much about collecting and cooking snails? I have seen a few locals out collecting them after the rains and thought I'd try it myself this autumn as it's free and organic local produce. Has anyone tried it yet? If so, do you need to clean them first and have you got any recipes? Failing that I might just tag along with some of the locals when they next go out and try to extract some information. I'll let you know as I'm sure you will be equally enthusiastic about trying this local delicacy. Someone did mention cooking them with Cava but I thought I might try Newcastle Brown Ale as I have a whole crate of it going to waste since I gave up alcohol.

Viking,
        I do know that when the French gather snails for eating they starve them for a week so that there is nothing nasty in them before cooking.

                                                             Old nelson.

Hi Viking,

Don't starve them, just feed them a few days with clean food like pasta (they seems to love it) to get the (for humans) toxic plants out of their system. And beware that it maybe 'organic', but the preparation of snails is not very animal-friendly. You have to salt them alive to un-slime (is this english?) them.

Mark

I've heard you can feed them on lettuce for cleaning out ?  Think I'd prefer McDonalds to be honest  ::)

Won't they just crawl away .... lol

Tell you what - you can have the snails and send the NBA to me.
Thanks
Tony

Salting alive doesn't sound as bad as than mussels 'en vapor' - which I love