Cooking Lecture: French - Escargots a La Bourguignonne (Snails with Garlic Butter)
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Escargot, is the French word for snail.
Snail shells have been found in archaeological Texas, an indication that snails have been eaten since prehistoric times [3][4]
The Romans, in particular, are known to have considered escargot as an elite food, as noted in the writings of Pliny.
In Western culture, typically the snails are removed from their shells, gutted, cooked (usually with garlic butter or chicken stock) and then poured back into the shells together with the butter and sauce for serving, often on a plate with several shell-sized depressions.
Additional ingredients may be added such as garlic, thyme, parsley and pine nuts. Special snail tongs (for holding the shell) and snail forks (for extracting the meat) are also normally provided. And French bread is useful in soaking up the sauce.
