Do you know Languedoc snails, also called “snails” or “cagarots”. We know from excavations that prehistoric men already consumed it, simply grilled in their shells, to replace the meat! Because the snail is rich in protein, it is a source of trace elements such as calcium, iron, magnesium, among others.
The first farms of snails, we owe them to the Romans. They fattened them with milk or wine and bran, before frying them in oil or grilling them with lots of spices. Later, in the Middle Ages, they were eaten fried, boiled or even on skewers!
There is no only 2 varieties of snails, Burgundy snail and squirrel. In Languedoc, it is the squirrel that is consumed. In the past, the elders went to pick them up in the countryside as soon as it had rained. But with urbanization, this activity has become complicated! So most people resort to breeding, to make the traditional recipe, “Languedoc style”: snails simmered in a raw ham sauce, browned in goose fat, with garlic and onion, pepper , tomatoes, herbs and anchovies!
And for dessert, I unearthed a specialty almost as old as snails! The crisp! Also called “pastis”, in the Gers. It is a round puff pastry, made up of buttered and crispy pieces of dough, which cover slices of apples, macerated in Armagnac. It is thought to date back to the invasion of the Moors who feasted on pastilla, a sweet and savory pastry topped with pigeon! Its name, “croustade”, seems to confirm it, since in Catalan, “crostada” means “crust”and that the Moors occupied Spain for a long time, in the 8th century.
Originally, the crisp was prepared with goose fat instead of butter. Traditionally, it was served at large meals, weddings, communions, village festivals, or during Carnival. The dough is very technical, it must be stretched until it forms a kind of translucent veil, which tends to tear. It’s so delicate to work with that now, the crisp is mainly prepared by pastry chefs in the region!
To celebrate the yellow jersey of the stage, without hesitation, I recommend a crisp!