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Active Time: 20 Minutes
Total Time: 25 Minutes
Yield: Serves 8
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| Live snails are traditionally used in this Vietnamese recipe, but I find that canned snails work very well. The snails are chopped and mixed with pork, chile, ginger and other flavorings, then stuffed into snail shells and steamed. A lemongrass handle makes removing the filling easy. |
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
| 2 fresh lemongrass stalks |
| 1/2 pound ground pork |
| One 7-ounce can large Burgundy snails, drained, rinsed, minced (see Notes) |
| 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger |
| 2 Thai chiles, halved and seeded, 1 minced, 1 julienned |
| 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil |
| 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt |
| 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper |
| 24 snail shells |
| Lettuce or cabbage leaves, for steaming |
| 1/4 cup vegetable oil |
| 1 scallion, white and light green parts only, thinly sliced on the diagonal |
| 1/3 cup soy sauce |
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DIRECTIONS
Trim the root ends of the lemongrass and remove a total of 8 long outer leaves from the stalks. Tear the leaves into three 3-inch-long strands. Trim off and discard all but the bottom 3 inches of the stalks and finely chop 1 of the tender bulbs. Thinly slice the remaining bulb on the diagonal. In a mini processor, puree the chopped lemongrass to a fine paste.
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In a bowl, combine the ground pork with the snails, ginger, minced chile, sesame oil, salt, pepper and lemongrass paste.
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Gently bend a lemongrass strand in half and stick it inside a snail shell, bent side in, and with the 2 ends protruding. Stuff the shell with 2 teaspoons of the pork-and-snail filling, working it between the lemongrass ends. Wipe the rim of the shell. Repeat with the remaining lemongrass strands, shells and filling.
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Line a steamer rack with lettuce leaves and set the stuffed shells on top. Steam the snails until hot to the touch and cooked through, about 8 minutes.
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Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Add the sliced lemongrass, julienned chile and scallion and cook over moderate heat until fragrant, about 1 minute. Pour the soy sauce into a heatproof serving bowl. Stir in the scallion-and-chile oil and serve with the snails.
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MAKE AHEAD: The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated for up to 2 days.
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NOTES: The two snail species most commonly eaten are the Burgundy or vineyard snail (which has a yellowish brown shell with spiral stripes) and the petit-gris, or garden snail (which is slightly smaller and has a yellowish gray shell with purplish brown stripes). Because Burgundy snails are plumper and tastier, they are the first choice for this dish.
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Recipe reprinted by permission of Food and Wine. All rights reserved.
Date Added: 01/01/2008
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Nutrition Facts per Serving
Yield: Serves 8
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