Timbale de Foie Gras Montesquieu

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (about 900 ml) metal Charlotte mould or metal pudding basin
• •Food processor
• •Fine-mesh drum sieve or sturdy fine sieve
• •8-inch square metal pan
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •1-inch round cutter
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Warm sauceboat

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the equipment

   Put the food-processor bowl, blade, a mixing bowl, and a fine sieve in the cold for twenty minutes. Keep the diced chicken, egg whites, and cream thoroughly chilled, with the cream measured as ⅔ cup (150 ml / 150 g) for the firm forcemeat and 7 tablespoons (105 ml / 105 g) for the lighter mousseline. Soften 2 tablespoons of the butter for the parchment and mould, but keep every ingredient entering the emulsion cold. Butter an 8-inch square of parchment, a second sheet to cover it, and a 1-quart metal Charlotte mould.

2. 2

   Make two forcemeats

   Pulse the chicken with 1½ teaspoons of the salt and the white pepper until it forms a fine, tacky paste. Add the 2 cold egg whites and process only until absorbed. Remove 110 g of this base to a chilled bowl. With the remaining base in the processor, add the reserved ⅔ cup cold cream in four small additions, pulsing briefly after each; this is the fairly firm chicken forcemeat. Scrape it into the cold bowl, then process the reserved 110 g base with the remaining 7 tablespoons cream to make the softer mousseline chicken forcemeat. Press both once through the chilled sieve and refrigerate separately. If either mixture develops an oily shine or loosens at the edge, stop. Ça se rattrape: set it over ice for ten minutes, then pulse briefly with a spoonful of its measured cold cream until smooth again.

   Poach a teaspoon of each mixture in barely trembling water until cooked through, then taste it. Correct the seasoning while the forcemeats are still cold and workable.
3. 3

   Poach the truffled sheet

   Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Spread about 1½ cups (360 ml) of the firm chicken forcemeat evenly over the buttered parchment to a thickness of ⅓ inch (8 mm). Brush it lightly with the beaten egg white, scatter over the 25 g finely chopped truffle, and press the truffle into the surface with the flat of a knife. Cover with the second buttered parchment, buttered side down, and set the sheet in a small metal pan. Place that pan in a roasting pan, pour in water heated to about 175°F (80°C) until it reaches halfway up the sides, cover loosely, and poach for 12 to 15 minutes, until the sheet is just firm and reaches 165°F (74°C). Cool it quickly, then chill until easy to cut.

4. 4

   Stamp and tile

   Peel away the top parchment and stamp the cold sheet into 1-inch (2.5 cm) roundels, cutting closely from one edge to the other. Arrange them over the bottom and sides of the buttered Charlotte mould with their truffled faces pressed against the metal. Keep the circles whole and the gaps narrow, working in tidy rows so the pattern reads clearly when turned out. Chill the lined mould for ten minutes.

5. 5

   Bind the shell

   Measure the remaining firm chicken forcemeat; the scaled batch should leave about 1 cup (240 ml). Stir in exactly one-quarter of its volume, about ¼ cup (60 ml / 60 g), of the mashed foie-gras parfait. This quarter-measure is the source recipe's binding ratio, and it stays. Spread the enriched forcemeat in a thin, continuous layer over the inside of the tiled mould, pressing it gently between the roundels so they become one shell. Reserve about ⅓ cup (80 ml) to close the top.

6. 6

   Fill and seal

   Fold the cold ¾-inch dice of foie-gras parfait and the remaining large dice of truffle gently through the mousseline chicken forcemeat. Spoon the mixture into the lined mould in three additions, pressing each one into the sides with a chilled spatula so no air pockets remain. Stop about ½ inch (1.25 cm) below the rim. Spread the reserved foie-enriched firm forcemeat over the filling, joining it firmly to the lining at the edges. Cover with a buttered parchment round, buttered side down, then seal the mould tightly with foil.

7. 7

   Poach under cover

   Set the mould in a deep roasting pan and pour in water heated to about 175°F (80°C) until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the mould. Cover the roasting pan and poach in the 300°F (150°C) oven for 45 to 60 minutes. The bath must remain between 170°F and 180°F (77°C and 82°C), with no bubbling around the mould, and the centre of the timbale must reach 165°F (74°C). If fat begins gathering at the rim, the heat is climbing too fast. Lift the pan out, replace a cup of hot water with cool water, wait five minutes, and continue at 275°F (135°C). Ça se rattrape before the bath boils.

8. 8

   Build the paprika sauce

   While the timbale poaches, melt 1 tablespoon of the remaining butter in a saucepan and sweat the onion gently until tender without letting it colour. Add the wine and reduce until only about 2 tablespoons remain. Add another tablespoon of butter, stir in the flour, and cook this roux (butter and flour thickener) for ninety seconds. Take the pan from the heat, stir in the sweet paprika for a few seconds, then whisk in the chicken stock gradually. Simmer gently for fifteen minutes and strain. Return the sauce to the pan, add the cream, and simmer until it nappes the spoon, meaning it leaves an even glossy coat. Season with the remaining salt and whisk in the final cold tablespoon of butter off the heat. If the sauce becomes too thick, loosen it with stock; if it looks greasy, whisk in a tablespoon of cold cream away from the heat.

9. 9

   Turn out and sauce

   Rest the cooked timbale in its mould for fifteen minutes. Remove the foil and parchment, run a thin knife only around the upper rim, and place a warm oval platter over the mould. Invert both together, wait ten seconds, then lift the mould straight up. If it holds, wrap the mould briefly in a hot damp towel and try again; don't pry at the roundels. If one loosens, press it back into place and let the sauce meet its edge. Surround the timbale with a generous border of the pink sauce hongroise au paprika and send the remainder to the table in a warm sauceboat. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Buy a firm foie-gras parfait that can hold a clean dice when very cold. An airy foie gras mousse disappears into the chicken mixture. If parfait cannot be found, a smooth whole-lobe foie-gras terrine is the closest substitute, though its centre will be slightly more textured.
• •Whole preserved black truffle is the classical pantry answer when fresh Périgord truffle isn't in season. Drain and dry it well. Truffle paste cannot provide the chopped black face of the roundels or the large dice required in the centre.
• •A metal pudding basin of the same 1-quart capacity is an honest substitute for a Charlotte mould. Avoid a wide loaf tin, which loses the timbale's height and makes the roundel shell difficult to turn out intact.
• •The glossary's Mousselines are individual portions of the same family of preparation. This recipe keeps the single shared timbale because the tiled shell and whole-table presentation belong to Montesquieu.
• •Serve this as the rich centre of a celebration supper, with bitter leaves or simply cooked green beans beside it. A dry white Bordeaux with good acidity stands up to the foie gras and paprika without making the plate heavier.

Advance Preparation

• •The truffled forcemeat sheet can be poached, chilled, and stamped one day ahead. Keep the roundels covered in the cold so their edges don't dry.
• •The paprika sauce can be prepared through the straining stage one day ahead. Reheat it gently, then add the cream and final cold butter shortly before serving.
• •The timbale may be fully assembled up to 4 hours before poaching. Keep it tightly covered and cold, then transfer it directly to the prepared bain-marie.
• •Chill leftovers within 2 hours and keep them for no more than 2 days. Slice while cold and rewarm gently under cover, since fierce heat will release the foie gras.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 435g)