ESCARGOTS WITH PERSILLADE BUTTER

Escargots with Persillade Butter image

Keep a batch of garlicky green Persillade Butter on hand along with a can of Burgundy snails, and you can throw an impromptu French fête in 15 minutes. Chef Boulud will show you how to stuff the canned snails into shells with the butter, which will melt in the oven to transform into an irresistible sauce. Don't forget to serve with a baguette to enjoy every last drop!

Provided by Daniel Boulud

Time 30m

Yield 2 servings

Number Of Ingredients 12

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Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed, at room temperature, 1½ sticks
4 cloves garlic, peeled and cut in half
2 shallots, peeled, trimmed, and roughly chopped
3 cups flat-leaf parsley, leaves only, loosely packed, about 1 bunch
1 bunch chives, finely chopped, about ¾ cup
1/4 cup almond flour
1 tablespoon Sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 pinch cayenne pepper
12 wild Burgundy snails, very large, available canned in gourmet stores or online
6 cherry tomatoes
Baguette, for serving

Steps:

Preheat oven to 475 degrees F. Prepare the Persillade Butter: In the bowl of a food processor, add butter, garlic, shallots, parsley, chives, almond flour, salt, pepper, and cayenne. Blend until bright green and uniformly combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl and push down the parsley as needed. Makes 1 cup.
To cool the butter: Place Persillade Butter on a square of plastic wrap. Roll into a log about the same diameter as the divots of the escargot dish; then wrap tightly, removing as much air as possible. Place in the refrigerator. (Persillade Butter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days and in the freezer for up to 1 month.)
Escargots, part 1: Remove snails from the can and drain; discard the liquid. Escargot can be prepared with or without shells. With shells: Use a small spoon to push a snail into each shell; do not push too deeply, or the snails will be hard to retrieve. Without shells: Place one snail in each divot of an escargot dish.
Escargots, part 2: Use an offset spatula to pack each snail shell with about 1 tablespoon of the Persillade Butter. Neatly level off the butter at the opening and place in the escargot dish, opening side up. (As the escargots bake, some of the butter will melt out of the shells and into the dish.)Without shells: It's best to use well-chilled Persillade Butter for escargots without shells. Unwrap the log of butter and slice about 1 tablespoon of butter per snail. Cover each snail with a slice of butter. Use a paring knife to trim away the top and bottom of each cherry tomato; then cut in half. Top each snail with a slice of cherry tomato. Place both escargot dishes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper (for easy clean-up). Roast in the oven until butter is foaming, 8-10 minutes.
Remove escargots from oven. Serve hot with escargot forks (optional) and baguette slices.