Scare cook contracted to produce snail on the menu (8)
I believe the answer is:
escargot
'snail on the menu' is the definition.
'escargot' can be an answer for 'snail' ('escargot' can be a synonym of 'snail'). I'm not certain of the 'on the menu' bit.
'scare cook contracted' is the wordplay.
'cook' indicates anagramming the letters.
'contracted' becomes 'got' ('get' can be a synonym of 'contract').
'scare' is an anagram of 'escar'.
'escar'+'got'='ESCARGOT'
'to produce' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for escargot that I've seen before include "Hardly fast food" , "French food" , "Got scare from edible French snail" , "A dish of cooked land snails" , "One continually moving house" .)