Escargots Recipe

Preheat and prepare

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F). Arrange escargot plates or small ovenproof shells/mini gratin dishes on a baking sheet so they're easy to move in and out of the oven.

Rinse and drain escargots

If using canned/jarred escargots, drain them from their liquid and give them a quick rinse under cold water. Pat dry gently with paper towels. Set aside.

Make garlic-herb butter

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt the unsalted butter. Add the minced garlic and minced shallot and sweat gently for 1–2 minutes until fragrant but not browned. Add the dry white wine and simmer for 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove from heat and stir in the chopped parsley, lemon zest, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, sea salt, black pepper and optional shallot/garlic salt. Taste and adjust seasoning. The mixture should be a well-seasoned, loose herb butter.

Assemble escargots

Place one escargot into each shell indentation (or small dish). Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the garlic-herb butter over each escargot so each is well coated and the butter fills the cavity. If using shells that will stand upright, place 4 escargots per plate (for 6 plates you'll use all 24). Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon of breadcrumbs over each escargot if using; this gives a light crunchy top.

Bake

Bake in the preheated oven for 8–10 minutes, until the butter is bubbling and the tops are lightly golden. If you prefer more color, place under a hot broiler for 1–2 minutes watching carefully so it doesn't burn.

Rest and serve

Remove from oven and let sit for 1 minute to settle. Transfer hot escargot plates to serving plates. Serve immediately with toasted baguette slices to soak up the flavored butter and lemon wedges on the side.

Notes

Ensure all butter used is unsalted so you can control seasoning. If you can't find escargot plates or shells, small ovenproof ramekins work. Leftover garlic-herb butter can be strained and refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen and used for garlic bread.