ROMAN STYLES SNAILS

Ingredients:

Snails (preferably from vineyards)	Pepper a generous amount
Vinegar, a glass	Anchovies four (they should not cover the taste of the snails)
Oil as required	Tomato in proportion to the quantity of snails
Garlic a few cloves	Mint (mentuccia) a large pinch
Salt as required	Chilli peppers a few

History

In June there is a famous traditional Roman festival, which is known as the night of St. John. 
Although today the holiday has lost some of it's liveliness, it remains an important event which draws people from all over Rome, sending them wandering through roads filled with the notes of concerts where solo guitars and mandolins play, and where the air is filled with the perfume of carnations and lavender. However, as the saying goes: all's well that ends well, people flock to the taverns and restaurants to indulge in this traditional dish: Snails served with a 'drop' of vino dei Castelli wine. The measure stated of a "drop" varies greatly from one to several litres. 

The traditional dish of the night of St. John is snails, and the authentic recipe now follows. This has been passed from generation to generation of Roman families making it obviously superior to the usual snails served commercially at the event.

Preparation 

Having picked a certain quantity of snails, preferably from a vineyard, they are collected together in a wicker basket and covered whilst ensuring that the air can circulate within. Pieces of bread that have been previously soaked in water as well as some vine leaves are then placed inside the basket. The snails are left inside the basket for two days after which the following should be done.

Place the snails in a large bowl containing water mixed with a handful of salt and a glass of vinegar. The snails should then be washed by hand in this container and will undoubtedly produce a large quantity of foam. Wash them around in this fashion, changing the water, vinegar and salt solution at regular intervals, until there is no more foam present. After having thoroughly washed them with the above described method, the snails should be rinsed once again under cold water, and then placed in a saucepan and left to simmer.

As the water temperature rises you will notice that the snails start to come out of their shells and at this point you should turn up the heat, so as to ensure that they are cooked thoroughly, out of their shells. Let them boil for about ten minutes, remove the snails from the pot using a large draining spoon and place them once more in a container filled with cold water for their final wash.

Place some garlic and oil in a large pan. Remove the garlic as it begins to brown and replace this with the anchovies, which should have been cleaned and cut into small pieces. When the sauce begins to get the right colour, add some salt, a generous helping of pepper and from the field, some fresh mint leaves, which, in Rome, are known as "mentuccia". Generally some chillies are also added into the sauce, so as to make it a little more spicy. Should the sauce become too dense, just add a little water. Place the snails into the pan and let them simmer for at least half an hour. 

The Dish
You will find Roman style Snails to be a part of the most classic traditional Italian dishes, which are unfortunately disappearing, along with a great many other traditional things, that we are trying to keep alive. It was one of our grandfather's favourite dishes, a delicious taste of times long passed. On the night of St. John no dinner table would have been prepared without the legendary snails flavoured with mint and chilli. 

The recipe described above is the oldest and the most original. In later years various changes have been made to it. The secret of this recipe is the preparation and especially the "cleaning". A good cleaning ensures that the flavour is perfect. 

The wine

Generally a large and important serving is provided, that should be accompanied with strong white wine of around 13 -14%. This allows for the mixing of flavours of the snails and the wine leaving an even more pleasant taste. I should stress the fact that important dishes should be accompanied by great wines. In this case the choice of wine falls on a great white wine because the flavour of the snails is very delicate and the harsh flavour typical of red wines would cover the taste and the delicacy of this dish. It is important to note that the fat present in snails is very different from that found in red meats. It is a lot more "fragile" and soluble in the presence of alcohol, and this is another reason for which red wine is not recommended. 

The dish requires wine that is mature, not too acidic, quite strong, with little or no aroma.

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