Stewed snails in the Devil’s spicy sauce
Caracoles en salsa de Diablo
The spicy sauce is best made a day in advance so that all the flavours have time to develop.
SERVES 4–6
2 large brown onions, chopped
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
100 g (3½ oz) Spanish ham (jamón)
olive oil, for frying
2 chorizo sausages, thinly sliced
400 ml (14 fl oz) tomato purée (puréed tomatoes)
125 ml (4 fl oz/½ cup) red wine
1–4 dried red chillies, chopped, to taste
250 ml (9 fl oz/1 cup) water from the pimiento choricero (see above) or chicken stock
1 kg (2 lb 4 oz) snails
thyme sprigs, for garnishing
To make the sauce, cut the pimiento choricero in half lengthways and put it into a bowl of very hot water. Set aside to soak for 5 minutes. Remove the pepper, reserving the water, scrape the flesh off the inside of the skin with a teaspoon and set aside this paste.
Put the onion, garlic, salt and ham in a heavy-based saucepan with a dash of the olive oil over medium heat. Sauté for 5 minutes, or until the onion is soft. Add the chorizo sausage and pimiento choricero paste and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the tomato purée, wine, chilli and reserved pimiento choricero soaking water or stock and bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium–low and simmer for 40 minutes.
Allow the sauce to cool, then put into the fridge overnight.
The next day, wash the snails very well under cold running water. Put them into a large saucepan, covered well with cold water, over high heat. Bring to the boil and boil for 10 minutes, using a slotted spoon to remove the foam as it rises to the surface.
Drain the snails, wash under hot water, then put back into the saucepan and repeat the cooking process.
Put the prepared snails into a large frying pan with the Devil’s sauce over medium heat, cook for 15 minutes then serve scattered with thyme.