Amourettes à la Tosca

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •2-quart heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Rolling pin and folded kitchen towel
• •3-quart pot for the macaroni
• •Two broad serving spoons
• •1 1/2-quart deep serving bowl or timbale

Instructions

1. 1

   Cut the amourettes

   Begin with the fully poached, thoroughly chilled amourettes from Calf’s Brains and Amourettes (No. 1288). Cut them crosswise with a thin, sharp knife into 1-inch (2.5 cm) lengths, wiping the blade rather than sawing through the delicate pieces. Divide them visually into thirds, reserving one-third for the top and keeping the remaining two-thirds ready for the final fold. Return both portions to the cold while you make the coulis.

   Cold amourettes cut cleanly. If they begin to soften and drag beneath the knife, stop and chill them again for ten minutes.
2. 2

   Shell the crayfish

   Twist the tails from the crayfish and peel them carefully, keeping all twelve tails whole. That is exactly three tails per person. Cover and chill the meat, then crush the shells and heads inside a folded kitchen towel with a rolling pin. Break them enough to expose their flavour, but don't grind them into fragments that will slip through the sieve.

3. 3

   Build the coulis

   Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed crayfish shells and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until the butter turns coral and smells deeply of shellfish. Add the shallot and carrot, cook until softened, then stir in the tomato paste for 1 minute. Pour in the Cognac without igniting it, add the wine, and reduce until the pan is nearly dry. Add the fish stock and simmer gently for 20 minutes. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing firmly, then return the liquid to the clean pan and reduce it to a scant 1/3 cup (75 ml). Off the heat, whisk in 1 tablespoon butter to make about 6 tablespoons (90 ml) of glossy crayfish coulis; season lightly with salt and white pepper. If the butter beads on the surface, whisk in a teaspoon of cold stock off the heat. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Bind the macaroni

   Bring a pot of water to the boil, season it with most of the salt, and cook the macaroni until tender but still holding its shape. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) of the cooking water, then drain well. Return the macaroni to the warm pot off the heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and the Parmesan, tossing until the cheese and butter form a close coating. If the Parmesan gathers into strings or clumps, add the reserved water one tablespoon at a time and toss off the heat until the coating relaxes.

5. 5

   Fold the timbale

   Measure exactly 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of warm crayfish coulis into the macaroni, preserving the source ratio of four tablespoons coulis for four ounces macaroni. Add the twelve crayfish tails and the two-thirds portion of amourettes. Lift and turn everything with two broad spoons until evenly coated, using the original toss without battering the fragile pieces. If an amourette breaks, stop tossing and spoon the mixture into the dish; the smaller pieces will enrich the binding, and the reserved third still gives you a handsome top.

6. 6

   Crown and serve

   Warm a deep 1 1/2-quart (1.4-liter) serving bowl with hot water, then dry it thoroughly. Spoon in the macaroni mixture, arrange the reserved one-third of the amourettes over the surface, and warm the remaining 2 tablespoons (30 ml) coulis just enough to restore its gloss. If it has tightened, loosen it with a teaspoon of stock. Spoon it lightly over the amourettes rather than drowning them, and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Amourettes are regulated in many places because bovine nervous tissue is controlled. Buy calf spinal cord only from an inspected specialist butcher who confirms it is approved for human consumption where you live. If the source can't be documented, choose another dish rather than improvising with uninspected tissue.
• •Plain frozen cooked crayfish are an honest preserved choice when fresh ones are unavailable, provided they come whole and unseasoned. Avoid heavily spiced boil packs; their seasoning concentrates in the coulis and takes the dish somewhere else entirely.
• •Four tablespoons coulis for four ounces macaroni, three tails per person, two-thirds amourettes folded within and one-third over the top. These ratios are not brigade scaffolding. They are the architecture of the dish.
• •Serve with a dry white Burgundy or another broad, mineral Chardonnay. The wine needs enough acidity for the Parmesan and butter, with enough body to meet the crayfish coulis.

Advance Preparation

• •The poached amourettes from Calf’s Brains and Amourettes (No. 1288) may be prepared and chilled up to one day ahead. Keep them covered and cut them only while thoroughly cold.
• •The crayfish coulis can be made up to one day ahead and chilled. Reheat it over the gentlest heat, then whisk in a teaspoon of cold stock if its butter has tightened or separated.
• •The crayfish tails may be shelled and chilled earlier in the day. Cook and bind the macaroni only when you are ready to serve, because the Parmesan coating stiffens as it waits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 275g)