The Snail Lady

Snails surprisingly require as much work as cattle. Hard to believe those little escargots can be as troublesome yet  as tasty as any flock of chicken or herd of cattle. However they have a wrangler who makes them plump and delicious , perfect for satisfying the retro meal of escargot avec beurre.

The lady in question is Mary Stewart and she was interviewed in today's New York Times Dining section. Dining regular , Jeff Gordonier  conducted the interview on Stewart's snail farm,(yes, there is such a thing) north of Bakersfield, California. She has been raising and selling them to prime restaurants like Tertulia and Vinegar Hill House in New York and Moto in Chicago. The Walrus and The Carpenter in trendy Seattle also asks for her escargot. She is even trying to launch a snail caviar which are snail eggs. These are whitish pearls that have the same saltiness as roe but with a more earthy ,less briny flavor.

Escargot was the hit of the Sixties. Gourmands and hip foodies of the time always had it on their plates and on their radar. Nowadays this retro food is coming back  but without the traditional butter sauce (although it is a good introduction for those new to snails).Moto's chef, Richie, Farina pairs it with  wild mushrooms and edible flowers along with herbs and garlic arranged to be moss. It;s a stunning visual that serves the snails well. At Tertilia in New York's West Village the snails are paired with a risotto and Spanish ham or jamon Iberico..For novices with fresh snails, try them in a white wine sauce , infused with garlic and  au x fine herbes.

Mary Stewart is a unique woman., She has not only become a snail rancher but put escargot back on foodie;s menus again. Thanks to her, it;s now fun to eat snails.