History

Caracoles a la madrilena descends from the 19th-century rastro market tradition, where Sunday vendors would slow-cook batches of snails in copper pots for the after-market crowd at Lavapies. The dish became canonical at Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles on Plaza Cascorro, opened in 1942 by Amadeo Lazaro, who still uses a 12-spice recipe passed through three family generations. The snails are slow-purged for 48 hours in water with rosemary and salt to clean them, then simmered for two hours with chorizo, jamon, tomato, paprika and cayenne. The dish is eaten on Sundays at La Latina taberna counters between 12:00 and 16:00; outside Sunday it is rare on Madrid carte.

Common allergens: None typical

Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 3 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 2 kilos live snails (pre-purged 48h or pre-cleaned frozen)
  • 150g cooking chorizo Iberico, sliced
  • 100g jamon Serrano, diced
  • 400g tinned tomatoes
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 tbsp sweet pimenton
  • 1 tsp cayenne
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 sprig fresh rosemary
  • 150ml dry white wine
  • 100ml olive oil
  • Sea salt, freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Parboil the snails for 5 minutes in salted water. Drain.
  2. Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pan. Sweat the onion and garlic over low heat for 12 minutes.
  3. Add the chorizo and jamon. Saute 5 minutes until the fat renders.
  4. Stir in the tomatoes, sweet pimenton and cayenne. Add the bay leaf and rosemary. Cook 10 minutes.
  5. Pour in the white wine and 500ml water. Bring to a simmer.
  6. Add the snails. Simmer covered for 2 hours over low heat, stirring occasionally.
  7. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Serve in clay pots with bread for sopping the broth.

Tip from the editors. The 48-hour purge is essential to remove the snails' bitterness; or buy frozen pre-cleaned snails from a Spanish deli for a quicker option.

This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.

Where to eat caracoles a la madrilena

Caracoles a la madrilena in Madrid

Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles ★ 4.4

lavapies

Casa Amadeo Los Caracoles on Plaza Cascorro in Madrid's Lavapies has cooked the caracoles in spicy chorizo broth since 1942; a racion serves two for 12 euros, eaten with bread at the standing-room bar.

Try: Caracoles a la madrilena

Tip: Walk-in only Sundays during the rastro market. Cash preferred. Closed Mondays. Sundays 12:00 to 16:00 is the local hour.

Plaza de Cascorro 18, 28005 Madrid

Bodegas Rosell ★ 4.4

Vermut, tapas€€retiro

Bodegas Rosell near Atocha in Madrid has poured the vermut de grifo from oak barrels since 1920, with a marble counter, formica tables and bocadillos, boquerones and croquetas for the working-day lunch.

Signature: Vermut de grifo, Boquerones, Bocadillo de calamares

Order: A vermut de grifo (2.50 euros) and a bocadillo de calamares. A pincho de tortilla on the side.

Tip: Walk-in only; the counter fills up at 13:00. Cash strongly preferred at the bar. The terrace is on weekends only.

Calle General Lacy 14, 28045 Madrid

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