Flail Snail
Tracking down Flail Snails is no new prospect. Hunters have always had their eyes on this fascinating gastropod, as felling one and selling its parts can net you a hefty sum. The iridescent shell has anti-magic properties which can be used for armor, the organs can be used in potions to negate the effects of poisons, and even the mucus that it left trails of could be used in alchemy. This beast is a true bounty of riches for anyone able to hunt them.
However, after all is said and done, the shell is separated from the body, the thick mucus is cleaned off and reserved, and the organs are removed, then the rest of the flesh is left to rot. If anything, this is a truly ironic scene. What you have done is properly field dress the meat, only to walk away with the offal. Hence why I am writing today, in defense of the culinary applications of the Flail Snail.
First, what is this creature for those who have never encountered one. It is a large snail, standing about 8 to 12 feet tall when measured from the bottom of its foot to the top of its shell. It has 4 to 6 eyestalks, each with a large mass of hardened flesh at the end of them that it uses as flails against any enemies, hence its name. Its most striking feature however is its scintillating spiral shell, which keeps growing with it as it ages. When being sold, some larger shells from elder flail snails could go for as much as 5,000 gold.
Now onto the more important matters at hand, eating snails? Of course!
Preparation
If you are lucky enough to find a flail snail before it has been butchered and looted, the separation process is not too complicated, it just requires a bit of hard work. Once the snail has been killed, run a blade around the edge of the inside of the shell, cutting away the connection between the shell and the flesh. It is not connected to the entire body, so once you sever that connection, you can pull the rest of the meat out, and you have a nice shell to pawn off to the highest bidder later. After the body has been separated from the shell, you will need to clean off the mucus, and it is worth removing the organs and outer stomach. Not only are these worth a good price as well, they impart a very bitter and medicinal taste to the meat if cooked along with it. While this may not be an issue for smaller varieties of snails that are eaten whole, flail snails grow large enough that the buildup of waste and medicinal chemicals in their organs is very noticeable in the end dish.
Whether you butcher the snail yourself, or come across the leftovers of another hunter, you should be left with a long muscular piece of meat, with eye stalks at one end. Remove these stalks with a solid blade or durable saw, as they are very tough. However they do have some culinary applications when cooked very low and slow to break down the stiff muscle fibers. They can either be braised and eaten as is, or used as ingredients in an unctuous stock.
The real prize however, is the few hundred pound slab of meat that makes up the main portion of the body. The bottom portion is almost fully tight muscle, as that is the part that the snail uses for movement and stabilizing its heavy body. However, there is a gradient of fat that increases in density the further you go up the body. If you have ever cooked with pork belly, you can imagine this as something similar to a long strip of pork belly in effect, with the same separation from dense flesh to marbled flesh and meat to a thick fat cap on top. This gives the chef a myriad of options to cook the meat with. It can be sliced incredibly thin and seared off hard, it can be braised low and slow to gelatinize the muscle into gelatin, or the meat can even be separated into different regions in terms of fattiness and cooked separately. However, whatever you do, make sure to remove all mucus first in the cleaning process, or else it won’t matter how hot the fire you’re cooking it with is, it just won’t cook.
Flavor
Regardless of how you approach cooking it, let’s discuss tasting notes. The most interesting part for new eaters of flail snails will undoubtedly be the texture. The meat tightens up in response to heat and becomes rubbery. However, while some other more common meats become very dense and chewy with this texture, flail snail is still very tender. This contradiction can be a bit of a turn off for some people, but if you can get past it, you will be delighted with the flavor. Imagine a mixture between pork and lobster. That is the best way I can describe it. It has intense meatiness and a similar base flavor as pork, since both snails and pigs are known for trawling through the dirt for their meals. But there is an unmistakable shellfish fragrance to the meat, and in particular to any stock made with flail snail. This comparison is actually most accurate when eating braised flail snail eyestalks, they soften up into a very similar texture as lobster meat.
Recipes
Flail Snail Cordon Bleu
Cordon Bleu, the epitome of high-class dining, or at least what it has become in the Capital city. Often crafted from poultry or veal, this dish has a whole new narrative when you replace the conventional meat with Flail Snail. This recipe is perfect for those adventurers who want to truly celebrate their lucrative haul after Flail Snail hunting.
First, take a carefully prepared slab of Flail Snail meat, stripped of its mucus and grime and slice it into thin, long, oval shaped strips. Each piece is seasoned and layered with slices of Halfling style cured ham and finely grated aged goat cheese. Then, they're rolled into delectable parcels and coated in a crust of crushed crackers or corn meal mixed with beaten eggs. Sear these off in a pan, and then deglaze with Elven cooking wine. It is important to note that it can be difficult to check for doneness with Flail Snail meat by sight, but after a bit of experimenting, you will be able to tell by texture. The meat should have a slight bounce, but not be overly tough and rubbery. Once it gets to that stage and the coating has adhered, bake until the crust is golden and the cheese has achieved a state of oozy nirvana. Serve adorned with minced sweet herbs, and prepare to be amazed.
Flail Snail Garlic Butter Confit
Confit is a term that captures the epitome of culinary patience. While it is typically reserved for fatty duck legs or prized vegetables, it’s a cooking method that transcends the boundaries of common kitchen alchemy. Flail Snail meat is a perfect target for this low and slow method, as the delicate snail meat is able to soak in all of the unctuous butter and fat that it cooks in. Due to the membrane like structure of the meat, it is different then beef, pork or poultry and is a good vehicle for taking on flavors, and not merely being covered in them.
For the uninitiated, confit is the slow, gentle cooking of a meat in its own fat or an aromatic fat medium. Our choice today is a silky garlic butter mixture, subtly imbued with Faewild herbs(or common sweetherbs if you can not make a quick trip to the Faewild). The Flail Snail meat is cooked until it reaches an almost divine tenderness, melting in the mouth with each bite.
First things first, the method of cutting the snail is very important here as we want to choose a hefty cut to cook down. Choose a hefty piece of Flail Snail meat, as always make sure the meat is free from mucus and debris, then season it generously with salt and crushed peppercorns.
In a large pot, combine butter, cloves of crushed garlic, and your herbs. Cook them down just until the butter has melted, but do not let it bubble. We do not want to burn the garlic, herbs, or milk solids in our butter as this will be a long cooking process. Then submerge your seasoned Flail Snail meat into the garlic butter. Ensure the meat is fully enveloped by the concoction. If necessary, add more butter or utilize a different cooking vessel.
Place your pot into a wood burning oven or kiln with low flickering flames. This is the key—the low, slow cooking will imbue the meat with unprecedented levels of flavor and tenderness. Let it cook for 6 to 8 hours. Once the meat is tender enough to be pierced with a skewer without adding much force, remove it from the oven. Carefully take the meat out of its butter bath, reserving the flavored fat for future culinary adventures. This butter is now liquid gold as it takes on the distinct flavors of the flail snail. I personally enjoy using it any time I saute seafood. Crab cakes cooked off in Flail Snail Confit butter are to die for.
Finally garnish the tender Flail Snail meat with more of the herbs you had used in the butter mixture, and enjoy with good bread, good wine, and good friends.