Jeg lovede sidst, at I skulle få mere at vide om Vinbjergsneglene. Vi har altid vældig godt kunnet lide denne spise, både den klassiske fra ovnen fyldt med dejligt hvidløgsmør og den mere sofistikerede sneglesuppe fyldt med dejlig fløde og krydderurter, men vi har faktisk aldrig fået disse retter tillavet med nykogte snegle. En sommer, hvor Ulrik igen trofast passede vores hus, mens vi var i Italien, var der etableret en vinbjergsneglegård i baghaven, da vi kom hjem. Eksotisk, men lad mig med det samme tilstå, at det var på ca. samme tidspunkt, at de danske haver blev invaderet af dræbersnegle, så entusiasmen kunne have været større. Ikke desto mindre skulle vi da prøve at koge et par af kræene. Det gør man sådan her:
Lad sneglene gå et par dage i en trækasse med låg og lufthuller et skyggefuldt sted, så de kan få tømt deres spiserør og tarm for affaldsstoffer.
Afliv dem hurtigst og mest humant i spilkogende vand. Efter et par minutter i det kogende vand kan sneglene tages op med en hulske og trækkes ud af husene, men man kan også vælge at lade dem koge videre med hus på. Sneglene koges herefter færdige sammen med løg, gulerodsskiver, laurbærblade, persillerod, salt, peber og evt. lidt timian. Koges 2-3 timer ved svag varme.
Nu er de så klar til enten at vende tilbage til sine huse med en ordentlig klat hvidløgssmør eller til at blive brugt i en suppe
Trods vores forudtagede halvnegative holdning til forsøget, måtte vi fuldstændig overgive os. Smagen var himmelsk og så meget anderledes end når man får dem fra dåse eller fryser. Jeg vil sammenligne det med en dåse grønne ærter kontra de friske. Vi havde sparet på oplevelsen og kun kogt 4 ud af de ialt 16-18 stykker, vi havde gående i gården. Nu besluttede vi, at de skulle lade livet alle sammen på en gang weekenden efter og så skulle der være fest med både suppe og dem med hvidløgssmør. Prøv lige at forestille jer vores skuffede ansigter, da vi ugen efter måtte konstatere, at gården var tom. Alle sneglene var væk. Enten havde de fundet et hul i hegnet eller også havde de besluttet sig til at "gå under jorden".
Du får alligevel opskriften på sneglesuppe:
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8-12 rensede og kogte vinbjergsnegle
1 løg
1 lille bdt. persille
1-2 fed hvidløg
50 g. smør
50 g. rasp
1/2 fl. hvidvin
1-2 dl. piskefløde
salt
peber
evt. lidt bouillon
Løg og persille og hvidløg hakkes fint og sneglene kvartes. Det hakkede sauteres i smør. Drys lidt mel over og tilsæt hvidvin og piskefløde og evt lidt bouillon og smag til med salt og peber. Server med et grønt drys af persille eller purløg og med et lækkert flutes.
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Min vinbjergsneglegård i år har 2 indbyggere og jeg tror, det ender med, at jeg slipper dem fri. Men jeg er nu stadig lidt sur over, at de spiste min Zucchini
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| Til sidst et billede af sneglesikrede valmuer/ This is how you secure your poppies |
Last time I promised to tell you more about edible snails. We like to eat both the classic from the stove filled with wonderful garlic butter and the more sophisticated snails soup filled with lovely cream and herbs, but we've never actually got these dishes made with freshly cooked snails. One summer when Ulrik again faithfully took care of our house while we were in Italy, he had established a snail yard when we got home. Exotic, but let me immediately confess that it was about the same time, the Danish gardens were invaded by killer snails, so our enthusiasm could have been greater. Nevertheless we tried to cook a couple of the beasts. It is done like this:
Let the snails go a few days in a wooden box with a lid and air holes in a shady location so they can empty their esophagus and intestines of toxins.Kill them the quickest and most humane in boiling water. After a few minutes the snails can be pulled out of the houses, but you can also choose to let them cook with the house. Boil them in water with onion, carrot slices, bay leaves, parsley, salt, pepper and a little thyme. Boil for 2-3 hours on low heat.Now they are ready to either return to their houses with a decent spoonful of garlic butter or to be used in a soup.
Despite our half negative attitude towards the experiment with the snailyard, we had to completely surrender. The taste was heavenly and so much different than when you get them from a tin or frozen. I would compare the difference with canned peas versus fresh ones.
We were saving our snails and took only 4 out of a total of the 16-18 pieces from the yard. But after this good experience, we decided that they would eat them all at a party-dinner both garlic buttered and made into a soup. Try to imagine our disappointed faces when we one week later found the snailyard was empty. All the snails were gone. Either they had found a hole in the fence or perhaps they decided to "go underground".You can still have the recipe for snails soup though:
8-12 gutted and cooked snails1 onion1 small bunch of parsley1-2 cloves of garlic50 gram of buttera little flourhalf a bottle of white winea quarter of a liter heavy creamsaltpepperpossibly a little brothOnions and parsley and garlic chopped fine and snails cut in fourths. Sauté in butter. Sprinkle a little flour over and add white wine, heavy cream and a little broth. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with a green sprinkle of parsley or chives and good bread.
This year there are only 2 inhabitants in my snailyard and I might just set them free. Still I am a little angry that they ate my zucchini.
