Nibbles and Tipples

Sangria, snails and Gaudi...taxi to Barcelona!

Well, last night I had my usual Monday to Wednesday, ten minute, slap-dash, stomach already digesting itself, after work meal. Rather than bore you with the finer details of peppers, noodles and salad, I thought I'd transport you to Barcelona. I also thought my profile picture deserved a little explanation!

I'm winding back to Barcelona, February 2011. A post-engagement celebratory city break with the hubby-to-be. I have a rule when it comes to holidays...always try something new. Event if, as in this case, you only ever try once!

In Barcelona we tried a lot of things, some truly amazing (Michelin Star Moo blog to follow!), but it's always the nightmare experiences that come back to haunt you. For me, Freddy Krueger appeared in the form of snails!

It's hard to find a hidden gem in Barcelona when you stay on La Ramblas but try we did and success was achieved. There we were, perched on old wooden barrels as bar stools, in a quaint, traditional Spanish tapas bar. Aging meat hung above our heads, melting cheese snacks were whisked from the grill to the bar, anchovies and olives were pinned to fresh cut baguettes and Catalonians shared flamboyant laughter.

"I'm going to do it!" I said, as I glared at the bath of snails, swimming in steaming tomato sauce.

The snails were presented to me in a clay pot, tomato sauce almost covering the shells, with three wedges of bread on the side.

"Here goes!" I said, as I was snapped in my profile picture, just about to try the slimy creatures.

The second picture taken moments later tells it all...

Horrid, slimy, tasteless. Quite frankly, the texture was like something my 4 year old niece could well have pulled from her nose! I tried them alone on a toothpick. I tried them on a spoon drowned in sauce. I tried them on a sauce sodden wedge of bread. Any which way, they were truly vile! There was a saving grace though and even through the slime, I must confess I did thoroughly enjoy the sauce. Tomatoes, tobasco and a little seasoning (I think!).

Before I began writing this blog, I Googled what else might have been in the sauce. For those who may wish to experience the slug's sister, I found garlic, onions, chorizo and bacon among the most common accompaniments. Momentarily, I thought, tomatoes, chorizo, garlic, onions and a drop of tabasco...that sounds delicious! Then it occurred to me, that even the finest chefs in the world are simply trying to drown out the taste and disguise the texture of The Snail in their recipes.

My thoughts...try that sauce as a spin on bruschetta. It's sure to go down a treat with friends as a nipple with a drinks, as part of a tapas selection, or even as a starter...

Saute the garlic and red onions with a drop of olive oil

Add in and reduce a tin of chopped tomatoes

Throw in some sliced chorizo

Add a drop of tabasco sauce

Serve with a chunk of sexy bread

"The tipple?" I hear you ask.

To wash down the snails? Jugs. Jugs and jugs of anything to drown out the taste! My potion of choice...cava sangria (and lucky for me, jugs of cava sangria were on tap in Barcelona).

Cava sangria is a much lighter and more refreshing take on the traditional red wine and brandy sangria and it is delicious.