Snails are one of the favorite ingredients that can be cooked into many delicious and diverse dishes. Preparing snails in a clean and efficient way while still preserving their flavor is something that housewives especially care about. So what should snails be soaked in for quick cleaning?
Soaking snails in salty chili water
The simplest way to prepare and clean snails after buying them is to soak them in water with a few slices of chili. To increase effectiveness, housewives can add more salt to make the water more salty.
Accordingly, soak the snails in the mixture of salty chili water for 1 to 2 hours and then rinse them several times with clean water. Then, the snails will release all the mud and become cleaner. Housewives can start cooking delicious dishes to treat their families.
Soaking snails in metal basin, pot or metal spoon
The simplest way is to soak them in a metal basin or put them in a metal knife, iron spoon for about 2 – 3 hours. Since metals have reducing properties, when they come into contact with water, they reduce H2O to hydrogen, reducing the amount of oxygen in the water. This makes the snails breathe through their mouths and expel mucous mud. Then, rinse them several times to clean them before cooking.
Soaking snails in rice washing water or flour
This is a folk tip that many people apply to clean snails. After washing the snails, soak them in rice washing water for about 2-3 hours. At this time, the snails breathe, open their mouths, stretch their tentacles, so the slime also comes out. Then, scrape off the remains on the bottom of the basin.
In addition, rice washing water also makes the snails more fragrant and fatty. If you don’t have rice washing water, adding a little flour to the snail soaking water also helps to clean them.
Stove-stove snails, soaking eggs, milk
In the culinary world of the North in the past, especially Hanoi, snail processing is quite elaborate.
The stuffed snails are washed, drained, and then hung in a basket on the kitchen frame, the more smoke the better. Smoke and heat help dry the snails to prevent flies from entering, and also make the snails more fragrant. During this time, the snails may sleep for weeks without dying. Every few days, they are soaked in thick rice washing water and then returned to the kitchen frame to smoke. Like that, the snails become clean, without the smell of mud. Finally, put the snails upside down on a deep copper tray, crack the eggs for it to suck.
People in the Mekong Delta also have a similar stove-stove snail dish, only available on important occasions. The snails are also smoked for a whole month, then given fresh milk and eggs to eat. This type of snail is used to prepare many delicious, popular dishes, especially the steamed snails with lemongrass and broken rice – a characteristic dish in this region.
According to vtc.vn