How to Make Vietnamese Boiled Snails
To boil snails perfectly, you need to know how to clean them properly, the boiling time, and how to make the dipping sauce that complements them.
Ingredients
- Snails: 2kg
- Lemongrass: 6-7 stalks
- Ginger: 30g
- Lime leaves or pomelo leaves: 10g
- Fresh chili: 4-5
- Coarse salt: 1/2 teaspoon
- Sugar: 1/2 teaspoon
Instructions
Prepare the Snails
Rinse the snails thoroughly several times with water, then soak them for about 3-4 hours before boiling.
To help the snails release mud and slime faster, you can soak them in rice water with a few slices of fresh chili, or place metal utensils like scissors or forks in the water. Alternatively, soaking the snails with vinegar or lime juice is also an effective way to clean them.
After soaking, rinse the snails again multiple times until the water is clear and the snails are free of slime. Then, drain them in a basket.
According to many snail vendors, snails should not be soaked for too long, as they may become thinner. It's best to soak and clean them 3-4 hours before cooking. In the meantime, store the snails in a basin covered with a large basket to prevent them from escaping.
Prepare Other Ingredients
Remove the outer layers of lemongrass, wash, and cut them into two parts. Finely chop one portion of the lemongrass root for the dipping sauce, and lightly crush the remaining stalks for boiling with the snails.
Wash and slice or crush the ginger.
Wash the lime or pomelo leaves.
Boil the Snails
Place the snails in a pot, adding just enough water to cover them (not too much, to keep the flavor concentrated). Add lemongrass, ginger, and lime or pomelo leaves to remove any fishy odor and to enhance the aroma. For the best flavor, add 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar to the boiling water.
If available, you can also add a bit of rice vinegar to further eliminate any unpleasant smells and improve the cleanliness of the snails.
Once the water reaches a boil, reduce the heat and boil for another 5-7 minutes. Occasionally stir with chopsticks to loosen the snail operculum (the 'door'), making it easier to extract the meat later. Avoid overcooking the snails, as the meat will shrink and retreat into the shell, making it harder to extract and chewy.
Once done, remove the snails from the pot and serve hot. If left to cool, they may develop an unpleasant smell.
Prepare Dipping Sauce for Boiled Snails
While the snails are boiling, you can prepare the dipping sauce as follows:
Ingredients for the dipping sauce:
- Fish sauce: 2 tablespoons
- Water: 3 tablespoons
- Sugar: 1 tablespoon
- Lemongrass: 1 small stalk
- Lime leaves: 2 leaves
- Ginger: 1 small piece
- Lime: 1 (or 3 calamansi)
- Chili: 1-2
Wash and finely chop lemongrass, ginger, and chili. Cut the lime in half and extract the juice. Thinly slice the lime leaves. In a bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of fish sauce, 3 tablespoons of water, 1 tablespoon of the snail boiling liquid, 1 tablespoon of sugar, and lime juice. Stir well to dissolve the sugar, then add the chopped lemongrass, ginger, chili, and lime leaves.
Additional Information
There are many types of snails, each with its own unique flavor. You can choose from a variety of snails such as apple snails, stone snails, spiral snails, giant snails, and spotted babylon snails. However, the prices vary, with some being more affordable like apple snails and spiral snails, while others, such as giant and spotted babylon snails, are more expensive. It's always a good idea to ask the vendor about the prices.
How to choose fresh, meaty snails:
Pick snails that feel heavy in your hand, are not cracked, and do not have a foul smell. When you lightly tap the operculum, or shell door, the snail should retract into the shell, indicating it's alive. Alternatively, when soaking snails in water, live ones will stick their heads out and move around, while dead ones float to the surface and remain still.
If the snail's operculum is close to the shell opening, it means the snail has a lot of meat. On the other hand, if the operculum is deeper inside, the snail is less meaty. This is a great tip for choosing snails that you shouldn't miss.
Additionally, mid-month and the end of the lunar month is the snail breeding season, which means the snails tend to be thinner and contain more baby snails. For plump, meaty snails, it’s better to buy them outside of this period.
