Paella Please

[jenny_haddow]

Hi FB

They were big snails, same as our garden snails. I vaguely remember the kids being sent off to search for them, and they didn't have a lot done to them before cooking. I was always there in early spring, never seen such beautiful wild flowers as grew then.
I used to stay between Paralimni and Agia Napa(when the latter was a still a sleepy little town). We were working in Saudi Arabia and Cyprus was a good place to spend some leave in the winter and early spring when it was just too darned cold in England. We had friends with a house there who let us use it whenever we wanted, so we were out in a community rather than a holiday area. I remember nobody locked up their houses or cars, and you left the keys in the car when you left it parked so it could be moved a bit if it was in the way!
Another world!

Cheers

Jen

[saucisson]

Curiosity has got the better of me, after feeing it on herbs to inprove the flavour how do you purge a snail?

Dave

[Fallow Buck]

Jen,

It was like that upto a few years ago, thenthe dreaded EU reared its head and things have just got messy. For the likes of us that remember what it was like back then there is a hint of sadness but for people just going now they still see it as being a little quaint Island.

Your post made me ring my mum and ask her to order me a few kilos of the medium snails so my gran can cook them with the black courgettes my dad grows, when I go over for my summer hols!!

I do like the place even if it has changed. Oh by the way Paralimni is where we lived (my parents are still there) so if anyone is in town when I am there let me know and I know a cracking taverna in the village. you'll have to eat the Meze I order though... not a problem for anyone on this board!!

Rgds,
FB

[jenny_haddow]

Dave, I think they are fed an exclusive diet for their last few days to purge the digestive tract of nasties, sweet grass or hay, that sort of thing.

Jen

[jenny_haddow]

Apparently you purge for at least four days prior to cooking. Keep them in a sealed unit, and feed them them a purgative of choice. Oatmeal, lettuce and cucumber have been mentioned. Now there's an idea for the obvious glut of cucumbers I'm going to have !

FB How about posting you gran's recipe for snails and black courgettes. I used to shop in Paralimni, black olive bread to die for from the baker there.

[Wohoki]

You can also use herbs, which give them a bit more flavour. I like cooking up a big batch of garden snails every once in a while, the best time being eary Spring as they don't need purging if they are still hibernating (there is a plug of dried slime over the opening to the shell). I have a mate who owns a plant nursery and I give him a hand cleaning his empty pots out in March, and we generally get 10 kilos between us. Very nice.

You can do the same with slugs, but they don't have the same appeal, so I give them to the chickens.

[saucisson]

I see, thanks, so feeding them on herbs counts as a purge. I might just give it a go!

Dave

[tristar]

Should try Guinness!

Purging, marination and a happy ending for the snail

Regards,
Richard

[Fallow Buck]

Saucisson,

Usually we store them on a big "Kalathi" which is basically a wicker basket like the ones you see slung over the side of a donkey in old mediteranian photo's. We fil the kalathi up with wild thyme and rosemary, "Throumbi" in greek. then just take them out as and when required.

Jenny,

The recipie uses a type of marrow ratehr than a courgette as we know it here. In paralimni you wil always have seeen the "curly" green marrows on the greengrocers display. They are the ones that grow into the giant orange marrows that they put in the pumkin pies with couscous and raisins. Black courgette is just a litteral translation. Anyway I digress!!!

The curley green ones are the ones to use, and most greek or turkish deli's/grocers will stock them. They probably weigh about 1-2lbs each and you want the ones that are smaller and firmer.

I'll see if I can get the recipies for them. They also do the same snails in a risotto using long grained rice which is also fabulous.

[jenny_haddow]

Thanks FB. There are plenty of Greek and Turkish deli/grocers where my dad lives in London, I'm going down next w/e so I'll scout around.

Jen

[moggy]

Are UK snails OK to eat? I get loads, if you go round the paths after rain at night, there are hundreds out.

[welsh wizard]

WOW, I have just returned from a conference in sunny (and it was) Blackpool where I stayed in the Norbreck Castle -Hmmmmmm and looked for your responses to my question. Many many thanks to all who have taken the time and trouble to offer recipies, equipment and advice on cooking over round BBQ's. I am now told I can cook with confidence!

Thank you all once again.

Cheers WW

[welsh wizard]

Hi all thought you may like to know how I got on with my first attempt.

I tried to encompass all your advice and set up the pan on a kettle drum BBQ. Fried off lots of bits and moved them to the side of the pan and then added a quantity of chopped toms, pasata, tom puree and garlic and reduced it all down. then I mixed in the rest of the fried bits, added the paella rice, water and white wine and bits of chicken, rabbit and pheasant cooked for what seemed an age and finally put in some mussels, prawns and a tub of brown crab meat (makro �2.95 a Lb). just about 5mins before the end I added some saffron I had been soaking for a hour or so and finally let it reduce. Tasted the rice and it was cooked, covered the pan with newspaper for 5 mins and served. It was AOK but I omitted the seasoning and I think it needs a good slug of black pepper. Anyway I was pleased with the result and look forward to my birthday bash.

OOI If using a BBQ like a webber kettle make sure thers is enough coal in the BBQ before you start. I know my pan cooks enough for c15 but it does take a longer time than if using gas, according to the research I have done. thanks again one and all.

PS not wanting to keep the thread going but does anyone cook out of the ordinary food on the BBQ? I went to a bash on saturday where they cooked three whole legs of lamb, which was very nice and they ended by BBQ'ing bananas in their skin, again which I thought was unusual.

Anyway cheers for now, a swelly bellied WW

[saucisson]

Pheasant and rabbit, sounds fantastic! Why did you wait so long to add the saffron though, did it colour the rice OK?

Oysters are nice on the BBQ for those that don't like them raw, they open when ready like mussels do.

On the subject of bananas, slice open a banana, stick a Flake inside, wrap in foil & BBQ. Oh and my family still like to ignite a marshmallow on the end of a stick...

Dave

[Neeka]

Coming from the Eastern Cape in South Africa, a BBQ (Braai) is not the same if you haven't toasted onion and tomatoe sandwiches as well. Make the sarnie up as normal with the butter/marg on the INSIDE, sliced tomatoes and thinly sliced onions with a little salt and pepper. They are toasted after the meat so that the coals are not too hot. Toast on both sides - slowly - so that the inside gets cooked. Very Yummy - try it once and you'll keep on doing it.

p.s. I have tried this on a gas barbie and it does not taste the same!