Bebbux bl-Arjoli

Cooked snails served with a punchy garlic-tomato arjoli dip.

• Serves: 4
• Preparation: 30 min plus purging
• Cooking: 30 min

Ingredients

• 150 g cleaned live snails per person
• 2 onions, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and chopped
• 300 ml dry white wine
• 400 g chopped tomatoes
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• Marjoram, rosemary, thyme and basil
• Salt and black pepper
• 150 g tuna
• 350 g tomato paste
• 200 g breadcrumbs
• 4 tbsp capers and chopped olives
• 5 anchovy fillets
• Fresh mint and parsley
• Olive oil, as needed

Method

1. Purge and rinse live snails repeatedly, following safe handling guidance, until the water remains clean.
2. Simmer them with onion, carrot, celery and pepper for about 20 minutes.
3. Cook garlic, onion, wine, tomato, lemon and herbs separately, then add this mixture to the pot and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Blend the arjoli ingredients to a thick, spoonable sauce, adding olive oil gradually.
5. Check that the snails pull cleanly from their shells and serve them hot with the arjoli alongside.

Food safety: Use snails sold for human consumption and follow the supplier’s purging instructions; simmer until fully cooked and easy to remove from the shell.