The French have a way of translating the seemingly inedible into delicacies. The liver of a fattened goose becomes ultradeluxe foie gras. Thymus glands become delectable sweetbreads. Black truffles begin life as fungus, but nothing travels quite as far as the snail.

In the past, the path of the snail to the plate typically involved days of starving and purging the poor (live) snails until they were devoid of any poisonous plants they might have ingested. These days, chefs purchase snails, out of the shell, that have already been cleaned and prepped. Even if the snails are served in shells as in a classic French bistro preparation, the shell is bound to be one the mollusk never saw before; the shells are generally purchased separately.

Though some would argue the typical escargot is nothing more than a medium for butter and garlic, the small brown-black mollusk, in fact, has an interesting taste and texture of its own; firm, yet tender like octopus, with a slightly fishy, but also gamey flavor. This winter, NewYork chefs are showing off escargot’s diverse possibilities. Each dish is dramatically different from the next, but in each case, the snail has come out of its shell.

At the Modern (11 W. 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth avenues, 212-333-1220) chef Gabriel Kreuther was inspired to “do something different” with snails. On the menu in the main dining room you’ll find the very high-end escargots and potato gateau with pearl onions, shiso, and celeriac froth. Though it looks like a small tart, the rich buttery crisp crust is made from thinly sliced potato, filled with small, firm aromatic snails that have been cooked in wine until tender. In the more casual bar room, Mr. Kreuther combines fresh, tender tagliatelle with pliant escargot, hen of the woods mushrooms, and basil sauce ($16).

Chef-owner Anita Lo features escargot as an appetizer at her elegant restaurant, Annisa (13 Barrow St., between West 4th Street and Seventh Avenue South, 212-741-6699). Ms. Lo layers the tiny mollusks with a thin slice of crisp, fried lemon, a soft slice of lardo, and a puree of sweet onion, enhanced with a swipe of a bright green herb sauce ($15).

At Paris Commune (99 Bank St. at Greenwich Street, 212-929-0509) large snails are served in a generous crock for an appetizer called Quintessential Escargot ($9.50). The snails have a slightly liverish taste and buoyant texture and are served in a thick and hearty beef-based sauce with mushrooms, bacon, herbs and onions. While at Marseille, where the influences are French and Mediterranean, (630 Ninth Ave., at 44th Street, 212-333-2323) the escargots, also an appetizer, are mixed with a vegetable brunoise (finely diced carrots, celery and other vegetables) and topped with crunchy buttery bread crumbs ($6).

On the dinner menu at Payard (1032 Lexington Ave. between 73rd and 74th streets, 212-717-5252), Executive Chef Phillippe Bertineau features a fricassee of escargot that combines the innovative addition of root vegetables such as sunchokes and crosnes with fresh porcini with the classic flavors of garlic and parsley ($13).

Mas (farmhouse) (39 Downing St. at Bedford Street, 212-255-1790) is an American restaurant with strong ties to French cuisine. Chef Galen Zamarra takes the escargot a step further, incorporating it into an entree: roasted Flying Pig Farm pork loin with polenta and a stew of escargot with Romanesco cauliflower. The snails, braised for hours in brandy and port and a mirepoix of aromatic vegetables, take on the sweet aroma and flavor of the liquor and counterbalance the flavorful medallions of pork ($36).

For those traditionalists who prefer their escargot swimming in butter and garlic, you can still find it (though not in shells) at Les Halles (411 Park Avenue South, between 28th and 29th streets, 212-679-4111 or 15 John St., between Broadway and Nassau Street, 212-285-8585) as an appetizer for $7.50.