Snails (Karaoli) with Oil and Vinegar Dressing or Skordalia

For Boiling

• Large Snails (Karaoli/Kochlioi)
• salt

For Serving

• olive oil
• vinegar

For the Skordalia (Garlic Sauce)

• 7-8 garlic cloves
• slice of bread, just the crumb
• olive oil
• fresh lemon juice
• salt

1. Rinse our snails well. Place the snails in a pot and cover them with water. Add a little vinegar and salt and let them boil. Skim off any foam and boil for 2-3 minutes. Strain them. Repeat the same process two more times. Rinse the snails well each time. Check if they are cooked by piercing one with a toothpick.
2. Whisk together the olive oil, salt, and vinegar well, and serve the oil and vinegar dressing (ladoxido) with the snails.
3. If you prefer to serve them with skordalia, then put the garlic cloves in a blender along with salt, bread, a little olive oil, and lemon juice. Blend well until you get a fluffy cream. In Rizokarpaso, snails, which are also called 'mounnoucharoi', are cooked stewed (stifado), skewered (souvlaki), battered (pané), stuffed in dough (koupepia), roasted over coals (oftoi), while the smaller ones are made with bulgur wheat, with courgettes (hasiourka), etc.