Le bouillon de "petits gris" aux orties sauvages

Recipe : Wild nettle-flavoured “petits gris” broth

“Petit gris », the French name for garden snail, land snail, or Cornu aspersum, previously classified as Helix aspersa, is a snail subgenus very widespread across the French Atlantic coast. It has become a symbol for people of the Charentes region who affectionately call it “cagouille” (French for “hooded”) and who rank top in France for producing it. Chef Verrat invites us to discover a recipe here which blends modernity and flagship products from his native region.

Ingredients for 4 people

  • 1 kg snails
  • 0.8 kg wild nettle tips
  • 0.3 kg Charentes butter
  • 1 bouquet garni
  • 1 branch of wild fennel
  • salt, pepper
  • 1 spoonful of goose fat

Preparation

Wash the snails, cook them for 90 minutes in the court bouillon (5 l water, the bouquet garni, wild fennel, salt, pepper).

Remove the flesh from the shells and fry them gently for 5 min in the goose fat.

Cook the nettles for 4 min in boiling water, drain them then put them through the blender and then sieve.
Dilute the nettle purée with the snail cooking juice then whisk in the butter.

Serve the snails hot in a dish then drizzle the nettle soup over them.

Restaurant La Ribaudière à Bourg-Charente près de Cognac

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PRACTICAL INFO 

2 Place du Port, 16200 Bourg-Charente

Bourg-Charente 

Village of Bourg-Charente in the Charente near Cognac

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2 Place du Port, 16200 Bourg-Charente

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Are you visiting the Cognac vineyard between the River Charente and La Haute Saintonge and looking for things to do...

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