Escargot

One of the most famous dishes in French cuisine, usually served as a starter, is escargot, a preparation of snails which can be served with a variety of sauces. Some Westerners, particularly American consumers find the thought of escargot somewhat repulsive, as snails aren't associated with food in the United States. As a matter of fact, most probably view snails only as pests. However some adventurous American diners do try escargot at least once for the experience or guys on a date wanting to impress a girlfriend.

	When properly prepared, the flavor is very enjoyable, as snails are a delicacy in many Mediterranean and European countries. This delicacy is most commonly boiled or steamed, and the snails are often served in the shell on a special escargot plate, which has small indentations for each shell. Diners use tongs to remove the meat from the shell, along with small two-tined snail forks, then the snails are dipped into the sauce provided. A garlic and butter sauce is the most common, but wine sauces & others are also common.
	Snails can be collected in the wild or farmed for prepared escargot. Farmed snails are fed a mixture of green and dried foods, with some snail raisers preferring dried food because it is less messy than fresh greens. Some cooks also feed their snails herbs, like dill, to lend a delicate flavor to the escargot. Either way, the snails must go through a period of fasting which lasts about one week before being prepared to cleanse their intestines, which can make the dish turn bitter if not completely emptied. During the fasting period, the snails are kept in wooden ventilated boxes and food is withheld. The snails are gently washed every other day in running water, which stimulates them to empty their guts.
	Some cooks salt their snails, producing a large amount of foam which removes the last of their impurities. Others simply throw the snails into salted boiling water for cooking before draining them and bringing them to the table to eat, either as an appetizer or an entree. Simmering the snails in a white wine can also add to the flavor, and in addition to being served plain, escargot can be tossed with pasta or used to stuff vegetables for appetizers