Stuffed River Snails

Method5 steps

1. 1

   De-sand

   吐沙

   Place the river snails in a basin of clean water and let them sit for an afternoon. You can add a few drops of sesame oil or mustard to the water to speed up the de-sanding process.

   将田螺放入清水盆中静置一下午，水中可滴入香油或芥末加速吐沙。

   ⏱240 min

   • 💡 Prepare half a day in advance提前半天准备
   • 💡 Adding sesame oil or mustard significantly speeds up the process滴香油或芥末能显著加快速度
   
2. 2

   Prepare the River Snails

   处理田螺

   Scrub the shells clean. Use pliers to snip off the tail ends. Blanch in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Remove the snail meat, discard the snail caps and sand intestines, and rinse the shells clean and shake dry.

   刷洗外壳，用老虎钳剪掉尾部，水开后焯烫1-2分钟。捞出挑出螺肉，去掉螺盖和泥肠，洗净螺壳甩干。

   ⏱10 min

   • 💡 You can scrub for a longer time刷洗时间可以久一些
   • 💡 Do not blanch for too long, or the snail meat will become tough焯水时间不可太久，否则螺肉会老
   • 💡 Snip off 1/3 to 1/2 of the tail尾部剪掉1/3到一半
   
3. 3

   Make the Filling

   制作馅料

   Chop the snail meat finely. Mince the pork. Add chopped mint, perilla, ginger, scallion, and seasonings (Sanhua wine, light soy sauce, salt, and optional oyster sauce, etc.). Stir in a clockwise direction until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.

   螺肉剁碎，猪肉剁成肉末，加入切碎的薄荷、紫苏、姜葱及调料（三花酒、生抽、盐、可选蚝油等），顺时针搅拌上劲。

   ⏱10 min

   • 💡 Do not puree the snail meat; retain some texture螺肉不要剁成泥，保留颗粒感
   • 💡 For convenience, you can use a meat tenderizer图省事可直接使用打肉机
   • 💡 Be sure to stir in one direction only一定要朝一个方向搅拌
   
4. 4

   Stuff the Snails

   酿制

   Use chopsticks to stuff the meat filling into the prepared river snail shells. Stuff them as full and tight as possible.

   用筷子将肉馅塞入处理好的田螺壳中，尽量塞满塞紧。

   ⏱10 min

   • 💡 Pack it tight but do not crack the shells塞紧实但不要撑破螺壳
   
5. 5

   Braise

   焖煮

   Heat a wok with oil and sauté sour bamboo shoots and chilies until fragrant. Add water and seasonings and bring to a boil. Add the stuffed snails and braise over low heat for 10 minutes. Finally, add the remaining mint and perilla and reduce the sauce over high heat.

   热锅凉油炒香酸笋和辣椒，加水和调料烧开，放入田螺中小火焖煮10分钟，最后放入剩余薄荷紫苏大火收汁。

   ⏱15 min

   • 💡 Do not stir frequently until the filling has set肉馅定型前不要频繁翻动
   • 💡 Add the mint and perilla in two batches; the final addition enhances the fresh aroma薄荷和紫苏分两次放，最后一次增加清香味