Ingredients
Snail Stock
- 300 g chicken wings
- 24 cooked canned snails, drained and rinsed
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 medium onion, peeled and thinly sliced
- ½ fennel bulb, finely sliced
- 1 celery stick, finely sliced
- 100 g button mushrooms, finely sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- ¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley
- 1 bay leaf
- 3 sprigs thyme
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 g black peppercorns
- 1.2 L cold water
Snail Parsley Butter
- 200 g flat-leaf or curly parsley, picked and washed (about 2 large bunches)
- 45 g whole garlic cloves, peeled
- 275 g high-quality unsalted butter (e.g. Lescure or Kerrygold), divided
- 3 ml fresh lemon juice
- 50 g shallots, finely brunoised
- 22 g ground almonds
- 35 g Dijon mustard
- 9 g fine sea salt
- 25 g large closed-cap mushrooms, cut into 5mm dice
Walnut Vinaigrette
- 30 ml walnut vinegar (or sherry vinegar)
- 50 ml walnut oil
- 50 ml grapeseed oil
- 2 g Dijon mustard
- Pinch of fine salt
Shaved Fennel Salad
- 1 medium fennel bulb, outer layer removed
- 15 ml walnut vinaigrette (from above)
- pinch of sea salt
- black pepper
- small handful of parsley cress
- finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 12 chervil leaves, to garnish (optional)
Porridge Assembly
- 24 braised snails (from stock step, reserved)
- 10 g unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 600–700 ml snail stock (from above)
- 100 g good-quality porridge oats (not instant)
- 80 g snail parsley butter (from above)
- 40 g Ibérico ham or Parma ham, finely julienned
- fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp sherry vinegar (optional, to finish)
Method
Day Before — Freeze Parsley & Make Snail Butter
Pick and wash the parsley thoroughly, spin dry in a salad spinner and pat dry with paper towel. Spread on a tray and place in the freezer for at least 2 hours or overnight. Freezing ruptures the cell walls and allows more chlorophyll to be released during blending, giving the butter its signature vivid green colour.
Blanch and refresh the garlic: place the 45g peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan of cold water, bring to the boil, then drain immediately and refresh in cold water. Repeat this process 3–4 times total. This removes bitterness and aggression from the garlic without destroying its flavour.
Confit the shallots: in a small heavy saucepan, melt 50g of the butter over the lowest possible heat. Add the brunoised shallots and cook very gently, stirring occasionally, for 1–1.5 hours until completely soft and translucent. Do not allow them to colour or caramelise at all. Remove and set aside.
Sauté the blanched garlic: in the same pan, melt 25g of butter over medium-low heat. Add the blanched garlic cloves and cook, stirring and scraping the pan, until golden and caramelised — about 8–10 minutes. Deglaze with the 3ml lemon juice, stir, and remove from heat.
While the garlic mixture and confited shallots are still warm, place them together in a high-speed blender. Add the frozen parsley. Blend on high, stopping to scrape down the sides, until you have a vivid, smooth bright-green purée. The warmth helps emulsify the mixture.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the remaining 200g softened butter on medium speed until smooth but not aerated — do not over-mix. Add the salt, Dijon mustard, and ground almonds; mix to combine. Turn to the lowest speed and add the warm green garlic-parsley-shallot purée in spoonfuls, scraping the sides of the bowl as you go, until fully incorporated. The butter should be an even, vivid green.
Cook the mushroom dice: in a small pan, melt 5g butter over medium heat until hot and foaming. Add the diced mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until all moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are lightly golden — about 8–10 minutes. Season lightly. Allow to cool completely, then fold the mushroom dice into the finished green butter.
Divide the butter into portions: spoon onto cling film, roll into tight cylinders, twist the ends to seal, and refrigerate. You need approximately 80g for service; the rest keeps in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Make the Snail Stock and Braise the Snails
Roughly chop the chicken wings. Place in a saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Drain immediately through a colander, rinse off the wings under cold water to remove impurities, and return to the pan.
Add the drained, rinsed canned snails and cover with 1.2 litres of fresh cold water. Bring to the boil over medium heat, skimming off any foam as it rises.
Once boiling and skimmed, reduce to a very gentle simmer. Add the sliced carrot, onion, fennel, celery, mushrooms, garlic cloves, parsley, bay leaf, thyme, rosemary, and black peppercorns.
For a home version: simmer gently for 1–1.5 hours with the lid partially on. (The restaurant braises snails in the oven at 120°C for 10–12 hours in a sealed casserole — if you have the time, this produces a more tender, flavourful result.) Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.
Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve lined with muslin into a clean container, pressing gently. Reserve the snails separately. Discard the spent vegetables and chicken wings. You should have approximately 700–800ml of aromatic stock. Season lightly. Refrigerate if making ahead — skim any solidified fat before use.
Make the Walnut Vinaigrette
Combine the walnut vinegar (or sherry vinegar), walnut oil, grapeseed oil, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of salt in a jar or small bowl. Emulsify with a hand blender or whisk vigorously until combined. Taste and adjust seasoning. Set aside.
Prepare the Shaved Fennel Salad
Remove the outermost layer of the fennel bulb. Using a sharp mandolin, shave the fennel as thinly as possible (1–2mm). Place the shavings immediately in a bowl of iced water for 2–5 minutes — this crisps them up and removes any bitterness.
Drain well and pat dry with paper towel. Place in a small mixing bowl and set aside. Do not dress until just before serving.
Finish the Snails
Just before assembling, roughly chop the reserved braised snails into two or three pieces each — or leave whole if preferred.
In a small frying pan, melt 10g of butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic clove and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not brown. Add the chopped snails and sauté for 2–3 minutes until warmed through and lightly coated in the garlic butter. Season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Cook the Porridge and Assemble
Pour 600ml of the snail stock into a medium saucepan and bring to a brisk simmer over high heat. Once simmering, pour in all 100g of porridge oats in a steady stream, stirring constantly with a fork or spoon.
Stir continuously over medium-high heat until all the stock has been absorbed and the oats have swelled into a thick, risotto-like consistency — approximately 3–4 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a splash more stock (up to 100ml) to loosen.
Remove the pan from the heat. Immediately add the 80g of snail parsley butter in pieces and beat it vigorously into the oats until fully melted and incorporated. The porridge should be vivid green and glossy. Be careful: do not return to high heat once the butter is added or it will split and the porridge will turn grainy. If you must rewarm, use the very lowest heat possible and stir constantly.
Season generously with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and optionally a tiny splash of sherry vinegar to add brightness. Taste and adjust.
Dress the fennel: toss the drained fennel shavings with the 15ml walnut vinaigrette, parsley cress or chopped parsley, salt, and pepper. Mix well — the salad should be lightly coated, not swimming in dressing.
To plate: spoon the vivid green porridge into four warmed shallow bowls. Arrange the warm sautéed snails around and slightly into the porridge. Lay the julienned Ibérico (or Parma) ham over the porridge. Pile the dressed fennel salad on top of the snails, keeping it light and airy with some height. Garnish with three chervil leaves per bowl if using. Serve immediately.




