Snails

Q: What do haggis and snails have in common? A: Both are national dishes; a gross idea, much maligned, which actually tastes really nice.

Yesterday I tried escargots for the first time (yes, they really do eat them here, although not often). Champeyrol invited Minda and I downstairs for the very French lunch, which he watched us eat with glee, scanning our faces for the slightest hint of disgust.

No such luck, Champey! They were actually really nice. They're cooked and served in the shells, and you pick them out with cocktail sticks. As with most things here, they're cooked in a garlicky butter which neutralises the slightly earthy taste, and the texture is akin to scallops or prawns - slightly jelly-ish. The butter which is left in each shell after you've eaten the snail itself is soaked up with a little finger of fresh bread, which obviously tastes absolutely delicious.

In short, I can recommend snails to you all.