Escargot Encrousteau
(Snails in Puff Pastry)
Fusion of French and Caribbean cuisine
Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 shallots, thinly sliced
24 snails (available canned; best if fresh)
3 cups wild black mushrooms (portebello, morels or chanterelles)
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
Salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups veal stock
4 individual-sized puff pastry shells, burshed with egg yolk
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 425 F. Place pastry shells on a cookie sheet and set aside. Melt butter in large saucepan. Add shallots and saute until brown, about 5 minutes. Add snails and mushrooms; saute 3 munutes. Add wine, salt and pepper; simmer for 3 minutes. Add veal stock; simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Place six snails, along with mushrooms and shallots, in each pastry shell. Put filled shells into oven until brown, about 2 minutes. Serve hot.
Serves 4
Courtesy of Chef Christophe Bonnel, L' Escargot, St. Maarten, Caribbean. Multitalented Chef Christophe can prepare Escargot in seven different ways. The house specialty is an award-winning crispy duck with banana and pineapple sauce. Other favorite include Caribbean Fish Soup, Lobster Thermidor, Little Bay Scallops in passion-fruit sauce and Shrimp Ravioli in lobster sauce. During late October through May, there is a cabaret show, La Cage aux Folles, runs every Friday evening. The cost is $60, including fiyr-cause dinner. Seated at 7:30 p.m. for the meal; the show starts between 9:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Reservation for dinner show is mandatory 011-599-542-2483.
