Duck & mushroom pithivier with celeriac purée, wilted spinach & jus gras
Pithiviers au canard et champignons, purée de céleri, épinards, macadamia et jus de volaille
Ingredients
Mushrooms (for the pithivier): 4 medium portobello mushrooms, peeled and stems removed 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper 2 teaspoons butter salt Chicken mousseline (for the pithivier): 100 g chicken breast fillets 1 egg white ¼ cup cream 1 pinch white pepper sea salt Celeriac purée: 1 celeriac (600 g) 1 onion 1 garlic clove 2 tablespoons olive oil 30 g butter 2 cups cream 2 cups milk sea salt white pepper Duck & mushroom pithivier: 8 x 10 cm puff pastry discs 2 eggs yolks, beaten 150 g Duck rillettes (page 204) Wilted spinach: 15 ml extra virgin olive oil sea salt freshly cracked black pepper 1 kg baby spinach leaves To serve: Jus gras (page 199) 8 Poached eggs (page 204) (optional)
Method
For the mushrooms, preheat the oven to 160°C. Place the mushrooms upside down on an oiled baking tray, then evenly distribute the remaining ingredients over the top of the mushrooms. Bake in the oven for about 12–15 minutes, then set aside. For the chicken mousseline, dice and chill the chicken in the freezer for 15 minutes. Pulse the chilled chicken in a food processor until smooth. Do not overwork the proteins as the puréed chicken can split. Add the remaining mousseline ingredients and pulse until combined. Place in the refrigerator to rest. For the celeriac purée, trim the celeriac, making sure all the weedy exterior is gone, then dice into small cubes. In a saucepan over low heat, sweat off the onion and garlic in the oil and butter until translucent. Add the celeriac and remaining purée ingredients and simmer for about 20 minutes until the celeriac is soft. By this stage, half the liquid should have evaporated. Blend the celeriac mixture until smooth and creamy, then season to taste with salt and white pepper. For the duck and mushroom pithivier, line a baking tray with silicone paper, then lay out four of the pastry discs on the tray. Paint the discs with some of the egg yolk and allow to dry. Place a mushroom, upside down, on each disc, making sure there is at least 1 cm of pastry around the edges. In a bowl, fold the rillettes into the chicken mousseline, then form the mixture into four balls. Gently press these balls down onto the mushrooms. Take the other four discs of pastry and cover the mushrooms, making sure there are no creases or air pockets. Use a fork to firmly press around the edges of the pastry to seal. Using a 10 cm pastry ring, trim the pithivier to make sure they are all the same size. Paint the finished pithivier with more beaten egg yolk and refrigerate, allowing to dry. Once dry, repeat the egg yolk and drying process once more. Preheat the oven to 160°C. When the last coating is dry, gently score the pithivier from the centre to the outside, being very careful to only very lightly cut into the pastry. This will produce an appealing pattern on the pastry. Bake in the oven for 18–25 minutes, until glossy and golden. For the wilted spinach, in a large saucepan with a lid, add about 60 ml water, the olive oil and a little salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, put the spinach in the pan and put the lid on. As soon as the spinach starts to wilt, remove it from the pan and drain it well. Place the spinach on paper towel. To build the plate, place a large spoonful of celeriac purée on a plate and top with the wilted spinach. Then add a pithivier and drizzle the jus gras around the plate. Finish with poached eggs, if desired.
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