What French dish consists of snails baked in their shells with garlic butter?

What French dish consists of snails baked in their shells with garlic butter? The answer is escargots de Bourgogne. This celebrated French preparation features cooked land snails returned to their shells or placed in specialized escargot dishes, then baked with a rich mixture of butter, garlic, parsley, and seasonings. The butter melts into the shells, creating the dish’s characteristic aromatic sauce.

The name means “Burgundy snails,” reflecting the traditional association with Burgundy and the Burgundy-style preparation. The snails are not eaten raw: they are purged, removed from their shells, cooked, and cleaned before being prepared for serving. Restaurants often present them in six- or twelve-snail portions using a pan with individual shell depressions.

Escargots are commonly eaten with small forks or picks and plenty of bread for soaking up the garlic butter. A frequent misconception is that all French snail dishes are identical. Escargot is the general French word for snail, while escargots de Bourgogne identifies a particular classic preparation. Other recipes may use different snail species, herbs, sauces, or cooking methods.