1641. ESCARGOT FRICASSEE with MUSHROOMS, BRUSSEL SPROUTS and CANDIED BACON JAM

yields two servings


14 snails, cleaned, purged, fully cooked
1/8 lb butter, unsalted
1 cup Brussels sprouts, leaves only
1 cup chanterelles, cleaned and quartered
6 cipollini onions, quartered and peeled
½ lemon
salt, pepper, cayenne or espelette pepper

For Bacon Jam:
1 cup bacon, cut into 2” X 1” X 1/2” pieces
¼ cup yellow onions, julienned
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
3 cups chicken stock
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted

For Parsley Puree:
2 bunches fresh parsley
1 tablespoon walnut oil
1 tablespoon orange oil
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil

For Bacon Jam: Render bacon in a heavy sauté pan in hot 500-degree F oven until bacon is crispy. Pull from oven and remove bacon. Cook julienned onions in the remaining bacon fat, scraping the bits from the bottom of the pan until onions are dark golden. Add brown sugar and stir to coat. Add a third of the chicken stock and place pan back in the oven to simmer. Reduce mixture until thick, almost au sec (approx 5-15 minutes). Watch carefully that it doesn’t burn. Add half of the remaining stock and reduce again until thick. Add all of the remaining stock and remove pan from the oven. Season with salt, pepper, and espelette to taste. Pour contents into a blender and puree until fairly smooth. Pour contents back into sauté pan and stir in honey to combine. Put pan back into oven and cook stirring frequently until deep brick red color is reached. Re-season and mount with butter. Allow to cool to warm temperature. Reserve.

For Parsley Puree: Blanch, shock, and drain parsley with stems in tact. Puree in blender with oils and a pinch of salt until smooth. Reserve.

For Snails: Melt butter in sauté pan. Add cipollini onions and cook in 500-degree F oven until golden brown. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Add chanterelles to pan and place back in oven. Cook until caramelized. Add Brussels sprout leaves and cook for 1 minute. Add snails and cook until heated through. Season and add juice and zest of ½ a lemon. Add a few splashed of cold water to emulsify sauce. Reserve.

To Serve: Spoon a tablespoon of bacon jam onto the plate. Using spoon, stretch the jam to make an elongated shape. Drain fricassee on towels and spoon onto plate slightly overlapping bacon jam. Sprinkle lightly with espelette. Drizzle a small spoonful of parsley puree in front of both components.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Chef Kevin Gillespie, Quickfire Challenge Winner, Top Chef, Season 6, Episode 4