Molise
Wild land snails (lumache di terra) gathered from the Molisano countryside in spring and autumn, purged for 3 days, cooked in a tomato, garlic and parsley broth until tender. A preparation of the deep Molisano countryside that requires patience in the preparation of the snails but rewards with a deeply flavoured, mineral-rich broth. Eaten with bread to mop the intensely flavoured cooking juices.
Mineral, faintly funky and deeply savoury from the snails; tomato provides acidity; garlic gives warmth; parsley adds freshness; the broth is extraordinary — slow food in every sense of the phrase
{"Purge live snails for 72 hours in a covered container with damp cloth — change the cloth daily; the snails must expel their digestive contents","Blanch in salted boiling water for 5 minutes and discard the water — this removes the first layer of slime","Cook in a fresh tomato, garlic and white wine base for 45–60 minutes until the snail meat is tender and comes free of the shell easily","Add fresh parsley only in the last 2 minutes — cooked parsley loses its bright flavour rapidly","Season the broth aggressively — snails themselves absorb very little salt and the broth needs to carry all the flavour"}
{"A wild fennel frond added to the cooking broth is the traditional Molisano touch that reduces the mild bitterness of the snail","Thick slices of grilled bread placed in each bowl before adding the broth is the traditional serving method","The broth left after eating the snails is one of the most extraordinary broths in Italian cooking — always provide bread for mopping"}
{"Insufficient purging — snails that haven't expelled their contents fully produce a bitter, occasionally toxic broth","Under-cooking — snail meat that doesn't come free of the shell easily is tough and rubbery","Adding parsley too early — after 10 minutes it yellows and loses its freshness"}
La Cucina Molisana — Tradizioni e Sapori