Snail Brioche Recipe with Parsley Butter, Apple-Celery Condiment and Cold Mild Garlic and Nettle Broth

Snail Brioche Recipe with Parsley Butter, Apple-Celery Condiment and Cold Mild Garlic and Nettle Broth

Discover the traditional recipe for snails in puff pastry mille-feuille or soft brioche, paired with an apple-celery condiment and a cold mild garlic and nettle broth for a refined French gastronomic experience.


Necessary utensils

  • Paring knife

  • Vegetable peeler

  • Dough mixer with hook (for brioche)

  • Rolling pin

  • Baking sheets

  • Cast iron pot or deep oven dish (for brioche/mille-feuille baking)

  • Round cutter (if individual version)

  • Fine mesh chinois for broth straining


Country / Region

  • Country: France

  • Region: Normandy & Burgundy (snail tradition, Normandy products)

  • Recipe origin: Oral tradition, modernized by Gilles Goujon and Alain Ducasse

  • Specifications: Non-official → proposed below

Proposed specifications

  • Snails exclusively from certified French farms (Helix aspersa maxima or petit-gris)

  • AOP farm butter (Charentes-Poitou or Isigny)

  • Brioche or puff pastry made with natural leaven, without additives

  • Use of blanched mild garlic, clarified broth with fresh vegetables

  • Apple-celery condiment, naturally gelled with agar-agar

  • Slow oven baking to preserve soft texture


Recipe evolution

  • Originally, snails were simply cooked in parsley butter (Burgundy).

  • Contemporary gastronomy (Goujon, Ducasse) modernized the approach with brioche or puff pastry, fresh condiments, and infused broths for a contrast of textures.


Notable chefs and contributions

  • Gilles Goujon: puff pastry mille-feuille with snails, combining flakiness and flavored butter

  • Alain Ducasse: soft brioche filled with snails, rich and indulgent version

  • Georges Blanc: work on snails with light sauces and fine herbs, inspiring modernized versions


History

Snails are a traditional French delicacy, particularly associated with Burgundy. Initially, they were prepared simply with butter, garlic, and parsley. The recipe evolved in the 19th century with Escoffier codifying the use of snail butter. From the 1980s, French haute cuisine embraced the product, elevating it in more elaborate preparations (brioches, puff pastries, modern condiments).


Legend or anecdote

It is said that Napoleon, passing through Burgundy, refused to wait for a long meal, and an innkeeper served him snails simply sautéed in butter. This may have been one of the first occasions where snails were appreciated as a refined dish outside the countryside.


Recipe description

A dish combining tradition and modernity:

  • Puff pastry mille-feuille, golden, filled with snails in flavored butter

  • Soft brioche, individual or for sharing, enriched with tender snails

  • Accompanied by an acidic apple-celery condiment and a cold vegetable broth for freshness


Ingredients

Ingredient Quantity Approx. Weight (g)
Cooked snails 24 pcs 200 g
AOP butter 150 g 150 g
Mild garlic 4 cloves 40 g
Flat-leaf parsley ½ bunch 20 g
Strong flour 250 g 250 g
Eggs 3 pcs 150 g
Baker's yeast 10 g 10 g
Granny Smith apple 1 pc 180 g
Celery stalks 2 pcs 80 g
Lemon juice 20 ml 20 g
Agar-agar 0.8 g / 100 ml
Fresh nettles 1 handful 40 g
Clear vegetable broth 500 ml 500 g

Note: Some ingredients may vary (e.g., smoked or natural bacon). Check the original recipe and explain differences.


Ultra-detailed professional preparation

Brioche dough preparation

  1. Setup:

    • Sift flour to aerate and facilitate gluten development.

    • Precisely weigh all ingredients. Soften butter to pomade.

    • Prepare mixer with dough hook.

  2. Mixing (Frasage):

    • Place flour, salt, sugar, and crumbled yeast in mixer bowl (without direct contact between yeast and salt).

    • Add beaten eggs all at once.

    • Mix slowly until a homogeneous but still firm dough is obtained.

  3. Kneading:

    • Switch to medium speed, add butter gradually in small pieces to incorporate evenly.

    • Knead until dough pulls away from bowl and develops elasticity. Check gluten network with “windowpane” test.

  4. First proofing:

    • Transfer dough to lightly floured bowl, cover, let rise 1 hour at 24–26 °C.

  5. Cold retard:

    • Degas dough lightly, cover again, place in fridge at 4 °C for 12 hours minimum.


Snail butter preparation

  1. Garlic preparation:

    • Peel and blanch garlic three times in cold water to reduce sharpness.

  2. Butter work:

    • Cream butter in mixer until smooth.

    • Add finely chopped garlic, parsley, pinch of salt and white pepper.

  3. Incorporate snails:

    • Chop or leave whole depending on size.

    • Gently mix with butter without crushing snails.


Brioche assembly

  1. Rolling:

    • Remove dough from fridge, roll to 4 mm thickness.

  2. Shaping:

    • Individual: cut rounds with cutter.

    • Shared: cut rectangles.

  3. Filling:

    • Place a spoonful of snail butter in center.

    • Seal into balls or rectangles, place on lined baking sheet.

  4. Proofing:

    • Let rise in proofing chamber 28–30 °C, 75% humidity, about 1 hour until doubled.


Baking

  • Convection oven 180 °C, low fan

  • Duration: 20–25 min until golden

  • Optional core probe: 85 °C

  • Rest 10 min on cooling rack


Apple-Celery Condiment

  1. Dicing: Peel apple and celery, cut into 2 mm cubes

  2. Seasoning: Mix with lemon juice, grape seed oil, pinch of salt, chill

  3. Gel: Blend apple, celery, lemon juice, strain, add 0.8 g agar-agar/100 ml, boil 30 sec, cool, chop fine, mix with brunoise


Cold Garlic-Nettle Broth

  1. Base: Carrots, onions, leeks, celery, bouquet garni, 30 min, strain

  2. Infusion: Add blanched garlic, fresh nettles, 10 min off heat, strain

  3. Finish: Season with salt, dash of cider vinegar, chill at 4 °C


Plating

  • Place warm brioche/mille-feuille on plate, brush with melted flavored butter

  • Add quenelle of apple-celery condiment

  • Serve cold broth on side, pour at table

  • Garnish with microgreens (cress, chervil)


Nutrition (per portion)

  • Energy: ~420 kcal (1760 kJ)

  • Fats: 24 g

  • Carbs: 32 g

  • Protein: 14 g

  • Fiber: 3 g

  • Allergens: gluten, milk, eggs, mollusks

  • Possible adaptations: gluten-free (rice-sorghum flour), vegetarian not possible


Baking programming

Recommended container: cast iron pot or brioche mold

Element UNOX (CHEFTOP/BAKERLUX) RATIONAL (iCombi Pro) Standard Oven
Program Manual Manual Manual
Cooking type Multi-step “My Programs” Static heat
Mode Gentle convection Light steam + heat Rotating
Temp 180 °C 180 °C 180 °C
Fan Speed 1 Auto N/A
Humidity 0% 10–15% N/A
Duration 20–25 min 20–25 min 25 min
Core probe Optional 85 °C Optional 85 °C N/A
Rest 10 min 10 min 10 min

Regional variants

  • Burgundy: snails in parsley butter in shells

  • Modern (Goujon): crisp puff pastry mille-feuille

  • Ducasse: soft brioche filled


Tips and advice

  • Use quality, properly purged, slowly cooked snails

  • Avoid overcooking that toughens meat

  • Do not exceed 0.8 g agar-agar/100 ml to prevent too firm texture


Recommended wines and beverages

  • White Wines: Meursault (rich, buttery), Chablis Premier Cru (fresh, mineral)

  • Sparkling: Extra Brut Champagne or Crémant de Bourgogne

  • Normandy Beverages: Brut cider or perry, Calvados digestif

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