Snail Tartlets

Preparation

1. Step 1

   Drain and rinse snails. Place in a saucepan with wine, water, onion, peppercorns, bay leaf and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and simmer 10 minutes. Set aside to cool in the broth.

2. Step 2

   Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

3. Step 3

   Combine flour and one teaspoon salt in a bowl or in the work bowl of a food processor. Mix with a fork or by turning the machine on and off once or twice.

4. Step 4

   Add all but two tablespoons of the butter in small pats and blend, using a pastry blender, a fork or two knives, or by using a pulse mechanism of a food processor, until the butter is the size of small peas. Add the ice water a little at a time, mixing lightly until a ball of dough can be formed. With a food processor, add the water through the feed tube. You may need less water if you use a food processor.

5. Step 5

   Roll out the dough and cut three-inch circles to fit tiny tartlet tins, each about one-and-three-fourths inches in diameter. Tuck pastry into the molds, prick the bottoms, then bake for about six minutes, until the pastry looks dry but has not colored. Remove pastry from oven.

6. Step 6

   Drain snails. If they are very large, coarsely dice them.

7. Step 7

   Melt remaining two tablespoons of butter in a skillet, add the garlic and saute over low heat until the garlic is tender but not brown.

8. Step 8

   Add the snails and cream and cook, stirring for a few minutes. Stir in parsely and season to taste with salt. Remove from heat and stir in the milk.

9. Step 9

   Beat the eggs. Stir into the snail mixture. Spoon this mixture into the tartlet pans, distributing the pieces of snail evenly among them.

10. Step 10

    Place in the oven, reduce heat to 375 degrees and bake about 20 minutes until lighly browned.

11. Step 11

    Cool briefly then serve or prepare in advance and reheat for 10 minutes in a 400 degree oven before serving.