Look at that Es-car-got!

Excerpt from From the Olive Grove by Helen & Anastasia Koutalianos. Published by Arsenal Pulp Press.

Escargot in Tomato-Wine Sauce


This recipe reminds me of my dear mother. When I was a child, she used to make this dish and my friends would ask what she was stirring in the pot. It sounded like rock soup! They were escargots in the shell. My friends loved eating whatever my mother made, and this dish was no exception.

¼ cup olive oil
3 large onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 lbs (1 kg) fresh or canned escargot, rinsed well
½–1 cup red wine
2 medium tomatoes, puréed
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh anise (or fennel)
salt, to taste
pepper to taste

Heat olive oil in a medium saucepan on medium. Add onions and garlic and sauté for about 5 minutes or until onions are soft and lightly browned. Add escargot and wine, increase the heat, and bring to a boil. Add tomato and anise, and reduce heat to medium-low.

Season with salt and pepper and simmer on low for 1 hour, stirring occasionally or until sauce has thickened. Serve with crusty bread to hold the escargot and mop up the delicious sauce.

Makes 4–8 servings.