Babbouche

Ingredients

Snails

• 1 kglive edible land snails, purged

Broth

• 2 litreswater
• 1 tbspaniseed
• 1 tbspcaraway
• 2 tspfennel seed
• 1 tspblack peppercorns
• 3bay leaves
• 1small piece liquorice root
• 1 tbspdried thyme
• 1 tspdried mint
• 2dried orange peels
• 1 tspgum arabic (optional)
• 2 tspsalt
• 1 tspharissa or 2 dried chillies

Directions

1. Discard any that do not retract when touched — a snail that does not move is not alive and should not be cooked.
2. Rinse them a final time in fresh water, changing it four or five times.
3. Put the snails in a pot of cold water and bring it up very slowly over low heat. Starting cold makes them emerge from their shells as they warm, which is what lets you pull them out with a pin at the table.
4. Bring the 2 litres of fresh water to a boil with the bundle and the salt, and simmer 20 minutes to build the broth.
5. Add the snails and simmer gently 45 minutes, until tender.
6. Add the harissa in the last 10 minutes.
7. Serve very hot in small bowls, a dozen snails to a portion, with plenty of the broth.

Technique

• The spice bundle is the dish. It is medicinal and bitter as much as savoury — liquorice, aniseed and thyme dominate, and it is drunk in Morocco as much for a cold as for pleasure.
• Bring them up from cold water slowly. Everything about eating babbouche depends on the snails being out of their shells.
• Gum arabic gives the broth a faint body and gloss and is what many stalls add; it is optional.

Substitutions

• Tinned or frozen prepared snails skip the purging entirely and are what most home cooks use.
• Fennel seed and star anise stand in if you cannot find aniseed.

Variations

• A thinner broth sold as a drink alone, without the snails, for a cold.
• Regional blends vary by stall, and vendors guard their spice mix.

History

A winter fixture of Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna and Casablanca’s night stalls, ladled from steaming cauldrons and valued as a folk remedy.

Frequently asked questions

What is Babbouche?

Babbouche is a street food from Morocco: spiced snail broth with thyme, aniseed and liquorice root, drunk from small bowls. A winter fixture of Marrakech’s Jemaa el-Fna and Casablanca’s night stalls, ladled from steaming cauldrons and valued as a folk remedy.

How long does Babbouche take to make?

Babbouche takes 30 min plus 2 hr purging of preparation and 1 hr 15 min of cooking. The recipe makes 4 servings. It is rated medium to make.

What can I substitute in Babbouche?

Yes, within limits. Tinned or frozen prepared snails skip the purging entirely and are what most home cooks use. Fennel seed and star anise stand in if you cannot find aniseed.

What is the most important thing to get right in Babbouche?

Discard any that do not retract when touched — a snail that does not move is not alive and should not be cooked.