Recipes

36 pieces of vineyard snails

75 g small vegetable cubes or lozenges of carrot, leek, celery

1 small shallot cut into fine cubes

75 g strong veal or poultry jus

30 g snail stock

50 g white wine

2 cl Pernod

1 tsp watercress

one small sprig each of rosemary and thyme

For the savarin:

50 g watercress leaves without stem

20 g spinach leaves without stalk

75 g cream

15 g butter

3 whole eggs

1 small shallot

salt, pepper, nutmeg

For the sauce:

100 g veal or poultry velouté

50 g snail stock

25 g whipped cream

Garnish:

30 g diced Black Forest ham

60 g small potato cubes

90 g small chanterelles

Other ingredients:

Salt, pepper, nutmeg

butter

lime juice

small leaves of watercress for garnish

Sauté the shallots in butter until translucent, add the snails, add a little color, deglaze with white wine and Pernod, reduce, pour in the jus and snail stock. Add the sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Reduce to approx. 75 g, scoop out the snails, keep warm, strain the sauce and season lightly.

For the savarin, sauté the diced shallots in butter, add the washed and dry watercress and spinach leaves and sauté briefly. Then blend finely in a blender with the eggs and cream, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Pour this watercress mixture into buttered savarin dishes (approx. 8 cm Ø). Cover and poach in a bain-marie (water 75-80 degrees) for approx. 15 mins (the mixture should feel firm to the touch, the needle should remain clean when tested with a needle). Leave the savarin to rest briefly, then carefully turn it out of the mold (this works best if the watercress mixture is lightly scored around the edge of the mold with a sharp knife).

Fry the Black Forest ham in a Teflon pan until lightly crispy and set aside for later use.
Blanch the diced potatoes until cooked, drain in a sieve. Clean the chanterelles and steam with a little stock, season and also drain in a sieve.

Reduce the velouté with the snail stock to 120 g and season with salt, pepper and a little lemon juice.

Sauté the vegetable ragout with a little butter, deglaze with the snail jus, cook until the vegetables are al dente, then add the snails, heat through, add the chopped watercress at the very end and season to taste.

Arrange the warm savarin on hot, deep plates in the middle and fill with the snail ragout.
Bring the velouté to the boil, mix, heat the potato cubes and chanterelles in it, then stir in the ham cubes, then fold in the cream, season to taste. Pour the sauce over the watercress savarin. Garnish the savarin with the watercress leaves or bouquets and serve immediately. A strudel ham chip can be used as a garnish.

Per person: 673 kcal/2,815 kj
Recipe by Martin Öxle, Restaurant "Speise¬meisterei", Stuttgart-Hohenheim
Photo: Protective Association of Black Forest Ham Producers