Whelks are giant marine snails. In towns along the Saint Lawrence (like Kamouraska), you can find them in gallon jars, marinated in brine or white vinegar. At Joe Beef, we buy whelks fresh from La Mer, Montreal’s big seafood broker, and serve them with escargot butter. In Burgundy, chefs are judged by their snail butter. Literally. You can work under three different Michelin-starred chefs and they’ll all tell you that there is only one way to make escargot butter—and each way will be completely different. This classic recipe is the escargot butter that drowned Montreal after Expo 67 (see page 52). If you’re not a whelk fan, you can enjoy the butter slipped under the skin of a chicken before it is roasted, on a steak, over mashed potatoes, or just spread on toast.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
ESCARGOT BUTTER
Preparation
Step 1
Prepare the escargot butter first. In a food processor, combine the butter, garlic, parsley, bread crumbs, almond powder, pastis, salt, pepper, and Tabasco and process until creamy. Scoop into a bowl, cover, and store in the fridge.
Step 2
Soak the whelks in cold water to cover for 2 hours, changing the water 2 or 3 times.
Step 3
Drain the whelks. In a small stockpot, bring the water and salt to a boil over high heat. Add the whelks, lower the heat to medium, and simmer for 15 minutes. While the whelks are cooking, remove the escargot butter from the fridge to soften, and preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
Step 4
When the whelks are ready, drain and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse the shells. Using a fondue fork, remove the meats from the shells. Reserve the shells. Clean the meats by removing any muddy or sandy appendages, and then rinse the meats.
Step 5
Make 4 or 5 neat little slices, 1/4 inch (6 mm) deep across each meat, and carefully put the meats back into their shells. Dab a spackle of escargot butter on the opening of each whelk, effectively closing it shut. Place the whelks in a small gratin dish (from which you should eat them).
Step 6
Bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the butter is crackling and bubbling. Serve piping hot.
