Mrs. Mallard’s Snail Jam

The Market Day legend, finally committed to print. Sweet, savoury, and alarmingly sticky — everyone has been waiting for this one.

You will need

• Two dozen plump pond snails, shelled and rinsed twice (Mrs. Mallard insists on twice)
• A generous handful of wild marsh berries, crushed
• Three bill-fulls of clean pond water
• A slow drizzle of wild honeycomb, foraged from the willow hive
• A pinch of pondside salt, to balance the sweetness
• Patience. More than you think you need.

Method

1. Render the snails: simmer gently in a hollowed gourd over sun-warmed stones until they soften and release their liquor. Do not rush this.
2. Build the base: stir in the crushed berries and pond water, and let the mixture reduce slowly until it thickens and turns a deep amber.
3. Sweeten and set: drizzle in the honeycomb a little at a time, tasting as you go, until glossy and sweet.
4. Cool and jar: spoon into a scrubbed acorn cap or shell, and leave to set on a cool, shaded rock until it holds its shape.

Wild Celery & Snail Salad

A crisp, foraged favourite served the traditional Waddletown way — on a sun-warmed log beside the water’s edge. Serves one peckish duck, or two if you’re feeling generous.

You will need

• One generous beak-ful of tender wild celery shoots
• A dozen plump pond snails, freshly rinsed
• Three sprigs of watercress and a scatter of duckweed
• A drizzle of marsh-mint dressing
• A pinch of pondside salt (optional, for the fancy)

Method

1. Forage your celery at first light, when the shoots are crispest.
2. Arrange the snails artfully upon a clean, flat log.
3. Tumble the celery, watercress and duckweed over the top.
4. Drizzle generously with marsh-mint dressing.
5. Serve immediately, before the snails wander off.