The earthy flavour of the snails pair beautifully with the spicy watercress and crispy garlic. Garnish the dish with a few croutons for extra crunch. Snails are available in specialist fishmongers or online.
Place a third of the milk and an equal quantity of water in a small pan, and bring to the boil. Add the garlic and cook the garlic for 1 minute. Repeat this process twice more with fresh milk and water
500ml of milk
6
Drain the garlic and dry on kitchen paper
7
Heat the oil in a small pan to 140℃ and fry the chips until golden brown, then drain on kitchen paper
500ml of vegetable oil
8
To make the emulsion, sweat the onion and watercress stems in half the butter until soft then add the milk and cream
For plating, warm the emulsion and blend with a hand blender to create a foam
12
Just before serving, finish the watercress coulis. Heat a small saucepan and add the butter, cook until it reaches a nut brown colour then add the reserved watercress purée. Cook for a couple of minutes until the purée has reduced slightly
50g of butter
13
To cook the snails, melt the butter in a frying pan, when it begins to foam add the snails. Fry for 2-3 minutes
1 tbsp of butter
14
Finish with the garlic, parsley, shallots, salt and pepper
To plate, place a spoon of the watercress coulis on the bottom of the plate and using a ladle, push to the edges. Arrange the snails and garlic crisps on the plate and finish with the watercress emulsion. Garnish with rocket leaves, borage flowers and croutons
Xavier Boyer worked closely with Joël Robuchon to make the L’Atelier restaurants a success. His style showcases fresh, seasonal, clean flavours, beautiful textures and his playful creativity.
