I love this unique presentation for escargots. For testing this recipe, we used fresh lasagna sheets because they’re cut larger and covered the filling completely. However, if you prefer to use packaged dry noodles, cook them 4 minutes longer. They won’t completely cover the filling but they will still be delicious. Yield is 4 appetizers.
ingredients
Fresh Pasta
Basic Tomato Sauce
Snail Mixture
Assembly
directions
Put 1 1/4 cups of the flour into a large bowl.
Make a well in the centre of the flour and crack the eggs into the well.
With your hands, gradually mix the flour into the eggs until dough forms.
Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.
Knead the dough a few times until you have incorporated as much of the remaining 1/4 cup of flour as possible. The dough will appear lumpy and dry.
Cut the dough in half and put one ball under a slightly damp towel.
Flatten the other piece with your hand.
Set a pasta roller at thickest setting and feed dough through rollers.
Fold dough into an envelope shape and feed through machine again.
Repeat 3 or 4 more times or until your dough looks smooth.
Reduce the pasta setting by one mark and pass through again.
Reduce setting by one mark for each pass through until dough has passed through all settings.
Cut the sheet of dough in half and put the 2 sheets under a sheet of plastic wrap.
Repeat the entire process with the second dough ball.
You now have 4 sheets of pasta under plastic.
Heat olive oil in a small saucepan on medium heat.
Add onion and garlic for about 4 minutes or until soft.
Add Pernod and cook for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes and 1/2 cup of water.
Partially cover and simmer for about 15 minutes or until sauce is very thick.
Stir in the chervil and cream.
Season to taste and set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Saute bread cubes in 1 tbsp. of butter on medium until golden, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, heat 2 tbsp. of butter and add the fennel seeds and fennel.
Saute until softened, about 6 minutes.
Add the garlic. Continue sauteing for another minute.
Add the vermouth and simmer for 2 minutes.
Add remaining 2 tbsp. butter, the bread cubes and the snails and heat through.
Add chervil and the salt and pepper to taste.
Boil the lasagna noodles in a pot of salted water until al dente, about 4 minutes.
Put 1/4 of snail mixture in the centre of each square.
Tie the pasta with green onions and put the purses in an oiled baking dish.
Pour the sauce around the purses and cook in oven for 5 to 8 minutes or until heated through.