Our chef Patrizia Ferlini will accompany us on a discovery of a new recipe from the Oltrepò Pavese, we are talking about snails alla varzese
A vintage dish, we might say. Linked to ancient traditions which, as often happens, are being brought back into the limelight. The return to the origins is a phenomenon we have been witnessing for some time, as well as the rediscovery of products that were once eaten by our grandparents. One example is the Varzese-style snails.
They have been pulled out of the hat by the Varzi Viva Cultural Association and have also been the subject of studies and reinterpretations by great local chefs. One above all, chef Damiano Dorati of Hostaria La Cave Cantù. During the 2017 Merano Wine Festival, he brought to the table an elegant, refined version that hardly looked like a snail dish. Yes, because one can also aesthetically ennoble preparations and achieve great results while maintaining the tradition of raw materials.
Snail meat has been very important in the past because of its characteristics and properties. Very rich in protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids, it helps fight cholesterol. In addition, and again in support, it was a product that was easily available in nature. It was, in fact, a common activity to go gathering them together with the family.
INGREDIENTS FOR 4 PEOPLE
● 36 well-cleaned snails
● one poached clove of garlic
● 1 small onion
● 50g butter
● 1 tablespoon of tomato paste
● 1 tablespoon of olive oil
● 1 tablespoon of parsley
● fine-ground yellow flour
● Vinegar, salt, pepper
PROCEDURE
The most important procedure in the recipe is to wash the snails, preferably in water and vinegar and repeated several times. Then they should be dried with a cloth and left to dry.
Brown the oil, butter, garlic, chopped onion and, added for those with a sweet tooth, the lard in a pan. Flour the snails and add them to the frying pan. Also add the tomato.
Only towards the end of cooking, i.e. after about two hours, add the parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add water until the end of cooking, if necessary.
Some versions also add celery and carrots to the sauté.
ACCOMPANYING WINE
We recommend pairing it with "PINOT NERO DELL‘OLTREPO‘ PAVESE DOC, 100% Pinot Nero" produced by Tenuta Mazzolino
