Escargots in Herbed Cream

These little aphrodisiacs are drowning in a perfectly herbed cream sauce tucked inside a pastry bowl. Romantic and attractive - perfect for Valentine's Day or a romantic evening. The snails can also be simply served with a warm baguette instead of in the puff pastry shells. The best snails for this dish are the vineyard snail (Helix Pomatia) or the "White Snail" (Helix Lucorum, but other varieties will work as well. MAKE AHEAD: Recipe can be made 1 hour in advance and gently reheated. WINE: A white Burgundy will match the richness of the creamy sauce in this dish. Such as a Meursault 2002 Chartron& Trebuchet or the Meursault-Perrieres 2001 Louis Latour, both are good pairings. A nice Sauvignon Blanc with depth, such as Lucien Crochet Sancerre Cuvee Prestige 1994 is an excellent choice if using Pernod. Recipe adapted from Burgundy Classics by Chantal Leroux.

• Ready In: 35 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  frozen puff pastry shells, thawed
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 2  large shallots or 3  medium shallots, minced
• 1⁄2 cup flat leaf parsley, minced
• 1⁄2 cup cilantro, minced
• 1⁄4 cup chives, minced
• 2  tablespoons tarragon, minced
•  salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 (7 ounce) cans  large  snails, rinsed (about 3 dozen)
• 1⁄2 cup dry white wine or 1⁄4 cup Pernod
• 1  cup heavy cream

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400°.
2. Place pastry shells on a baking sheet and bake in center of oven for about 25 minutes, or until puffed and browned. Carefully remove the scored tops and set aside. Scoop out any unbaked dough and bake shells for an additional 10 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.
3. While shells are cooling, melt butter in a large skillet. Add shallots and cook over low heat until softened but not yet browned, about 4 minutes.
4. Add parsley, cilantro, chives and tarragon, season with salt and pepper and cook over moderate heat for about 3 minutes.
5. Add snails and cook for 1 minute.
6. Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes.
7. Add cream and simmer about 5 minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon snails and their sauce into pastry shells, top with lids and serve.