 |
 |
 |
Chicken Liver Custard Served with a Tomato Sauce Gâteau de Foies de Volaille à la Tomate (Serves 6 to 8) This is one of the most typical dishes of Bressan cooking and there are many variations for it. One of the most refined versions utilizes a Nantua sauce, crayfish, and truffles to complement the gâteau. A very unsophisticated rendition is a simple mixture of livers, milk, eggs, flour, and parsley, baked and served in a gratin dish. Our version is not complicated but can be made more elegant by the addition of pike quenelles and wild mushrooms such as meadow mushrooms (Agaricus campestris), which grow in fields during July and August. Our recipe for the sauce is made with cultivated mushrooms-the counterpart of the meadow mushrooms which, if not quite as fragrant, are still quite satisfactory. Custard Mixture 4 trimmed chicken livers 1 tablespoon chopped parsley 1 large or 2 small cloves garlic 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, pulverized (1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme would be better) 1 teaspoon butter 2 cups heavy cream 6 eggs 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper 1 teaspoon salt Chop the livers, parsley, and the peeled garlic with a large knife until it is reduced into a nice puree. Add the thyme. Melt the butter in a metal 1 1/2-quart charlotte mold. Add the pureed mixture and cook on medium heat, stirring with a spoon, for 1 or 2 minutes until the liver mixture changes color and firms up. This is important because if you add the liver to the liquid without cooking it, it will go down to the bottom of the mold during cooking. By precooking it, it helps to distribute it properly throughout the whole gâteau. Mix the cream, the eggs, salt, and pepper together until smooth, and strain it through a fine sieve. Combine with the liver mixture, pour everything into the charlotte mold, place in a pan with cold water around it and cook in a 400-degree oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a knife inserted in the middle of the gâteau comes out clean. Let "rest" 10 minutes before inverting on the serving tray. If any liquid comes out of the gâteau, remove it with a baster or paper towels. Tomato Sauce This tomato sauce can be used for several different dishes and is a basic sauce. A. 1 tablespoon butter 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 large onion, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 2 carrots, peeled and diced (about 1 cup) 3/4 cup diced leek 1/2 cup diced celery 3 cloves garlic, crushed with skin on 1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste 3 tablespoons flour 1 quart beef broth 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns crushed. You may crush them with a heavy skillet or a saucepan directly on your chopping block. (This is called mignonnette in French.) 2 cups water 1 teaspoon sugar 1/4cup coarsely chopped parsley 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme (If available, fresh is better; double proportion.) 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano (If available, fresh is better; double proportion.) 1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon (If available, fresh is better; double proportion.) Melt the butter in a large kettle, add the oil and when the mixture is foaming, add the onion, carrots, and leek. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the celery and garlic and sauté for 1 or 2 minutes. Mix in the tomato paste and the flour and add the beef stock, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil, mixing with a whisk once in a while to avoid scorching. When boiling, add the 2 cups of water and the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil and simmer slowly for 45 minutes uncovered. Skim every 5 minutes to remove the foam which accumulates on top of the sauce. The carrots give a good sweet taste to a tomato sauce and should not be omitted. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and set aside covered with plastic wrap. B. (This should be done while the tomato sauce is cooking.) 4 well-ripe, medium-sized tomatoes (about 1 1/4 pounds) 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 small green or red hot pepper, split, seeded, and chopped (optional) Remove the core of the tomatoes and dip them into boiling water for 30 or 40 seconds. Transfer them with a slotted spoon to a bowl of cold water. Remove the skin, which will slide off easily, split them lengthwise into halves and squeeze the seeds out. Add the cores, skins, and seeds to the cooking sauce. Dice the tomatoes, then heat for about 10 minutes, or until most of the liquid is evaporated. You should have approximately 1 1/2 cups of pulp left over. Add the pulp to the strained tomato sauce and bring to a boil. Yield: About 5 1/2 cups of sauce. Be sure to apply pressure to the vegetables when straining the sauce so that you get as much of the flavor of the seasonings and vegetables as possible. At serving time, add 1 tablespoon of fresh butter in bits to each cup of sauce and mix it well to have the butter blend with the sauce and smooth it. Note: You need about half of the recipe to serve with the chicken liver gâteau. The remaining sauce may be kept in the refrigerator for up to 10 days, covered, or it may be frozen. 1/2 pound mushrooms, washed and thickly sliced Sauté the mushrooms with 1 tablespoon of butter until the juices from the mushrooms is evaporated. Add 2 1/2 to 3 cups of sauce to the mushrooms and bring to a boil. Pour over the gâteau and serve immediately. Return to Top |
|
© 2001 jacquespepin.net |