A very interesting thing about Perpignan is that it's Catalan despite being on the French side of the border. And what's even more interesting is that it's North Catalan or Roussillon, and thus there are dishes here that you can't really find in Barcelona. Those snails above were a good example.
They are not only done in a savory tomato sauce, but they are done in the shell which makes a little hard to extract, requiring a toothpick and hands-on action like the way the Vietnamese do it. On top of that, the exposed section of the snail meat is seared a bit, which gives it a slightly crispy texture, and a greasy taste too. It's good, but also a messy and slow affair. I guess that's why it's served more at festivals and family banquets rather than restaurants. This place serves it nonetheless (9 Rue de la République, 04-6834-7762); the restaurant was filled with families once the clock struck eight tonight.
Other local dishes included boles de picolat meatballs that were served in a tomato sauce with white beans and pork. The meatballs were heavily garlicked, but I loved how the fries that it came with were the way I like them: soggy and greasy, and with the added bonus of being naturally sweet.
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