Giant Edible Snails (Lounged)

[Michael Palaeologus]

Anybody else seen the crates of edible giant snails in one of the supermarkets in Peckham - Near William Hills as I remember?

They have a member of staff in attendance to make sure the little blighers dont escape.

[????]

Slugs..snails....I'm eagerly awaiting the worms thread

[HonaloochieB]

I believe they also stock slugs and puppy dog tails. It's a DIY kit for prospective parents who only want a boy.

[Only me!]

What's the required skill-set for an edible snail keeper inner?

Would make a fascinating job advert...

[cate]

Yes, I saw some down there last week. They look hideous. And they are moving. Do you think they are legal?

[EDOldie]

Legal as long as they are not served with mushrooms.

[first mate]

Have an idea they qualify as bush meat, if imported, therefore illegal. If grown here don't know, also don't know how easy they would be to breed to that size here.

[HonaloochieB]

Legal schmegal, are they good scran?

[katietatie]

Not a clue about the legalities, but you can get them in Brixton too. I work in a secondary school, and one of our science teachers took pity on some and they now live happily in her Biology lab!

[HonaloochieB]

katietatie Wrote:

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> Not a clue about the legalities, but you can get

> them in Brixton too. I work in a secondary

> school, and one of our science teachers took pity

> on some and they now live happily in her Biology

> lab!

Katie, do you ever persuade a bald male member of staff to allow the giant snail to be placed on the top of his head?

And then place bets as to which side of his face the snail will fall off first.

If you do, then tu salut, if you don't then you're missing a trick that could make staff meetings a lot better attended.

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

I to have noticed the snails and would love to have them on a menu. The French snails or the one's from the Mendips are a lot smaller, In a nice butter and garlic sauce, they would be a meal in themselves!

Regards

Libra Carr.

[EDOldie]

How does one slaughter a giant snail for cooking?

[HonaloochieB]

EDOldie Wrote:

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> How does one slaughter a giant snail for cooking?

The quickest and most humane method is to introduce said snail into a Daily Mail focus group as a teenage-knife-crazed-property-price-affecting-paedophile. It's average life expectancy is approximately two seconds.

However this is said to cause the muscles to contract, thereby possibly toughening the meat.

The other method is to whisper in the snail's ear, that he has been booked as both a feature and an interviewee on the Vanessa Feltz London 94.9 radio show or programmme. On hearing the news the snail will lose all will to live.

He will go into a decline and slowly die. Gourmands favour this method as apparently it adds succulece and a tang of morbidity.

Hunanitarians shun it, and the EU have concerns.

Vanessa Feltz is quoted as saying "Is there a snail community I need to be worried about?"

Anyway, as Kurt Cobain one remarked Nevermind.

[LuvPeckham]

EDOldie Wrote:

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> How does one slaughter a giant snail for cooking?

Funny you should ask that, I asked Bola Amole, the owner of BIMS a few months ago and got the following

Step 1 - Squeeze Lemon or Lime Juice into the open part of the shell to draw out any impurities

Step 2 - Place the snail in cold water and bring to the boil (slowly and humainly sends it to sleep) OR drop it in boiling water (not so nice for the snail)

Step 3 - Crack the Shell and extract the meat

Step 4 - Chop the meat and cook in various dishes (i.e. Stew)

In answer to the questions

1. It is not bush meat - regardless of where it comes from, The Shops down Peckham have special import licences if they bring them into the country

2. They are legal, if not to everyone's taste

3. Funny you mention Job adverts, as BIMS had one up earlier this month as it is a kind of specalised job to keep them alive (they hate the cold)

4. Yes - they are good Scram - and if you haven't tried one before, then venture into Lolak's on Choumert Road and try them in stew (if your mind can get past what you are eating)

5. They aren't easy to grow here as they like heat rather then cold... but they are grown in the country too and many are kept as indoor pets

6. No one in Peckham stocks Puppy Dog's tails - you can however get them from Mr Rose in ED (So I have heard)

Now as to the point of Garlic Butter - man would you stink after eating a whole one ... Imagine the amount of butter and garlic needed !!! (and as for the Snail Fork and Tongs... they would need to be made at an iron works ...)

[Jeremy]

Don't need to crack the shells open... easy enough to pick out with a cocktail stick, or better still, one of those little forks the French have for this exact purpose.

What's everyone's favourite snail dishes? The garlic butter combination that Libra Carr mentions is of course the most well known, pernod butter is a good one too. Snail cassoulet is another good one. Anyone brave enough to try Heston Blumenthal's Snail Porridge? http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/database/snailporridge_74858.shtml

[LuvPeckham]

Jeremy Wrote:

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> Don't need to crack the shells open... easy enough

> to pick out with a cocktail stick, or better

> still, one of those little forks the French have

> for this exact purpose.

>

I would like to see the size of the cocktail stick you use on the African Land snails in questions sir .... or are you a giant amongst men !!!

[Jeremy]

OK... yeah, I've not actually seen these giant snails...

[SteveT]

As big as a tennis ball with a point on one side.

[HonaloochieB]

SteveT Wrote:

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> As big as a tennis ball with a point on one side.

A match point?

[Administrator]

Lounged

[Michael Palaeologus]

-- moved topic --

[Brendan]

Matches aren?t pointy. You?re thinking of toothpick there.

[Michael Palaeologus]

What about Matcgh-point? That is by its very nature, pointy.

Anyway, I aint eating no snails giant or otherwise. I had some nirmal ones in France. They tasted like garlic butter and were rubbery (and not in the Chinese waiter joke kind of way)

[EDOldie]

HonaloochieB Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> EDOldie Wrote:

> --------------------------------------------------

> -----

> > How does one slaughter a giant snail for

> cooking?

>

> The quickest and most humane method is to

> introduce said snail into a Daily Mail focus group

> as a

> teenage-knife-crazed-property-price-affecting-paed

> ophile. It's average life expectancy is

> approximately two seconds.

> However this is said to cause the muscles to

> contract, thereby possibly toughening the meat.

> The other method is to whisper in the snail's ear,

> that he has been booked as both a feature and an

> interviewee on the Vanessa Feltz London 94.9 radio

> show or programmme. On hearing the news the snail

> will lose all will to live.

> He will go into a decline and slowly die.

> Gourmands favour this method as apparently it adds

> succulece and a tang of morbidity.

> Hunanitarians shun it, and the EU have concerns.

> Vanessa Feltz is quoted as saying "Is there a

> snail community I need to be worried about?"

> Anyway, as Kurt Cobain one remarked Nevermind.

So, all done at a snails pace then?

[Jah Lush]

Thanks for the tip off. I've been trying get hold of this particular type of snail for the TV docu/drama that I have in production at the moment it's called...Withsnail & I.