Oysters, Courgettes and Escargots

Oyster soup

6 small new leeks
2 small courgettes
1 handful of fresh coriander
3 oysters per person
crème fraiche
1 coffee spoon of curry
1 litter of chicken stock
sea salt, black pepper

Heat the stock, add the vegetables, coriander, salt, pepper and curry.
Boil them and mix.
Open the oysters, pour the juice in the soup with the crème fraiche.
Once ready put 3 oysters (without the shell) in the soup and decorate with fresh leaves of coriander.
Drink with it a good dry white wine “Bordeaux entre-deux-mers”

Terrine de courgettes

1kg of courgettes
6 eggs
2 handfuls of dill
2 coffee spoons of crème fraiche
sea salt, black pepper

Slide the courgettes in a little bit of olive oil with the salt and pepper and cook them.
Put them through a vegetable mill, add the eggs beaten, the cream and the dill.
Butter a flan dish, put the mixture in it and cook in an oven (180o). After about 40 minutes put a knife through it - it is cooked when the tip of your knife is dry.
Serve with a sauce done with olive oil, lemon, salt, pepper and a handful of fresh dill.
Be very careful about the wine because of the lemon sauce, a “Rose de Provence” or a dry white wine will be the best.

Ragoût d’escargots

For 80 snails
500grs of fat minced pork
500grs of ripe tomatoes
A head of garlic
A handful of fresh thyme
A bottle of dry white wine
Salt and black pepper

Collect only the type of snails showed on the photo. Leave them for two weeks in a wooden box without any food but leave them some air (put a big weight on the top of the box, they are very strong and if you do not do so they will go away!) or use the tip I give in the letter.
Put them in a sink with water, wine vinegar and sea salt, rinse them several times - they are clean when they stop slobbering. Boil water in a large pan, when it is boiling put the snails in and leave them for 3 or 4 minutes to blanch them. Strain them.
In a cocotte put some olive oil, the pork, the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper, fry it gently then add the tomatoes and leave to cook slowly for about half an hour. Add the bottle of wine and the snails; cook very gently for about an hour. The sauce must be half evaporated.
Drink with that a red wine from the Loire Valley “St-Nicolas de Bourgueil.”