SERVES 4
In Spanish, they say that snails (like shellfish) are best during months with an “r”—that is, September through April. January sits on that list, and it’s something of a tradition with my mother-in-law to prepare a big pot of snails in a slightly picante tomato sauce for New Year’s Day lunch. My father-in-law comes from around Lleida, a heartland of snail eating, and one of his culinary passions is these gastropods. Like most snail dishes around Spain, it has a slightly spicy touch to it. The trick, my mother-in-law taught me, is to sprinkle in a bit of flour at the end. This thickens the sauce slightly but, more importantly, gets the sauce to coat the snails as opposed to remaining in the bottom of the pan.
The best snails to use here are a medium-size variety such as pequeño gris (brown garden snail, or petit-gris). The next size larger will work, too. These are called los viñedos (vineyard or Burgundy snail). Fresh snails can be hard to find in North America, but preserved ones ready to cook are certainly available. The artisanal preserves company Rosara from Navarra exports them preserved in brine. Delicias de España carries them and will ship. See Sources, page 345, for where to find these and start looking for live ones.
1. Clean and boil the snails with the unpeeled garlic, bay leaves, and thyme, following the directions on page 340 (for fresh) or page 341 (for preserved). Drain and discard the herbs.
2. In a cazuela, heavy casserole, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat and add the onion. Cook until soft and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chorizo and jamón and then add the tomatoes. Cook, stirring from time to time, until the tomatoes have darkened and the sauce is pasty, about 10 minutes.
3. Add the snails, season with red chiles (1 or 2 tiny ones should be enough), and pour in ½> cup/120 ml water. Cook uncovered over medium-low heat for 20 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the flavors blended. Sprinkle in the flour and stir until the sauce coats the snails, 2 or 3 minutes. Serve with toothpicks or small snail forks to extract the meat.
