Escalopes de Foie Gras Maréchale

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Whisk and flexible spatula
• •8-inch (20 cm) shallow square pan
• •Rimmed tray with wire rack
• •Thin slicing knife and small paring knife
• •Small offset palette knife
• •Large bowl for an ice bath
• •3½-inch (9 cm) plating ring
• •Cold 12-inch (30 cm) serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Set the aspic

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it for 5 minutes to swell. Bring 1¼ cups (300 ml) of the stock, 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of the Madeira, and half the salt just below a simmer. Remove from the heat, add the swollen gelatin, and stir until completely dissolved without whisking in bubbles. Strain through a fine sieve. Pour a scant 1 cup (230 ml) into a shallow 8-inch (20 cm) square pan so it forms a sheet about ¼ inch (6 mm) deep. Pour the remaining ¾ cup (180 ml) into a small covered container. Chill both for at least 2 hours, until firmly set.

   The aspic must cut cleanly but still melt pleasantly on the tongue. Boiling gelatin weakens it, so dissolve it off the heat.
2. 2

   Shape the collops

   Unmold the cold terrine. Dip a thin knife into hot water, wipe it completely dry, and cut four slices about ½ inch (1.25 cm) thick. Trim each into a neat oval roughly 3½ by 2 inches (9 by 5 cm), reserving about 4 oz (115 g) of the trimmings for the purée balls. Place the collops on a parchment-lined cold tray. If their edges soften or smear, stop and chill them for 15 minutes. Firm foie gras cuts; warm foie gras argues.

   Choose a dense foie gras terrine, never a loose mousse. The slice must support its dome and survive several coatings without bending.
3. 3

   Crown with pain

   Divide the chilled Pain de Foie Gras (No. 1741) into four equal portions. Let each portion soften for no more than a minute between two sheets of parchment, then press it gently over a collop and shape it into a smooth, shallow dome. Do not knead or whip it; overworking warms the butter and destroys the close texture. Smooth the joins with a cold palette knife, then refrigerate the domed collops for 30 minutes, until the surface feels firm under a gentle touch.

4. 4

   Build the chaud-froid

   Melt the butter in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Stir in the flour and cook this roux for 2 minutes without letting it color. Whisk in the remaining 1¼ cups (300 ml) stock a little at a time, scraping into the corners, then simmer gently for 8 to 10 minutes until the sauce nappes, or coats, the back of a spoon. Add the cream and simmer until the mixture measures about 1¼ cups (300 ml), with no taste of raw flour. Melt the reserved aspic gently over warm water. Whisk 7 tablespoons (110 ml) into the sauce, reserving the remaining ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 ml) for glazing. Season the chaud-froid with the remaining salt and the white pepper. Measure ½ cup (120 ml) into a second bowl for the purée balls and keep it fluid over barely warm water.

5. 5

   Mask the domes

   Set a wire rack over a cold rimmed tray and place the domed collops on it. Cool the ivory chaud-froid over an ice bath, stirring slowly, until it is about 72 to 75°F (22 to 24°C) and falls from the spoon in a thick, opaque ribbon. Test a spoonful on a cold saucer: it should cover without showing the plate beneath. Spoon it over each dome from the crown downward in one confident coat. If the mask runs translucent, scrape the runoff back into the bowl, cool it for another 2 minutes, and try again. If it sets in ridges, warm the bowl over lukewarm water for a few seconds and stir smooth. Ça se rattrape. Chill the coated collops for 20 minutes.

6. 6

   Form the bigaroons

   Press the reserved foie gras trimmings once through a fine sieve to make a smooth purée, working as little as possible. Divide it into eight equal portions of about ½ oz (14 g). Cut eight tiny round pellets from the truffle, reserving enough truffle for four thin decorative slices. Flatten each foie gras portion in a cold palm, set a truffle pellet at its center in imitation of a cherry stone, and close the purée around it. Roll quickly into balls the size of large cherries and chill for 15 minutes.

7. 7

   Coat the cherries

   Simmer the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Madeira with the tomato paste for 1 minute, until smooth and darkened. Whisk this into the reserved chaud-froid to make the reddish-brown coating described in the original dish. Cool it over ice until it clings thickly, then roll each foie gras ball through it with two forks. Transfer the coated balls to the rack and chill for 20 minutes. If the coating slides, the sauce or the foie gras is too warm; return both to the cold, stir the sauce smooth, and coat again.

8. 8

   Truffle and glaze

   Lay one paper-thin truffle slice on the crown of each ivory collop. Melt the final ¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon (70 ml) aspic over warm water, then cool it until barely fluid. Brush a thin, clear coat over the collops and reddish-brown balls. Chill for 10 minutes and apply a second light coat wherever the gloss is uneven. Never use hot aspic here; it melts the chaud-froid beneath. If that happens, chill the piece firm, smooth on a little reserved sauce, and glaze again.

9. 9

   Build the platter

   Turn the sheet of aspic onto a cold board and cut twelve small diamonds for the jelly croûtons. These are shaped pieces of jelly, not bread. Chop the remaining aspic finely and pack it inside a 3½-inch (9 cm) ring at the center of a very cold platter, forming a low circular cushion; this replaces the brigade's sculpted buffet support without changing the composition. Arrange the four collops around it, set the reddish-brown bigaroons in a small pyramid on top, and border the platter with the jelly croûtons. Chill until service, then let the platter stand for 8 to 10 minutes so the foie gras loses its waxy refrigerator chill without softening. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Firmness matters more than pedigree. Buy a smooth, dense foie gras terrine that releases cleanly from its mold; a soft mousse cannot carry the Pain de Foie Gras or the chaud-froid.
• •If fresh black truffle is not in season, a whole preserved truffle in its own juice is the honest classical-pantry answer. Drain and dry it well. Truffle oil cannot supply the slices, the little stones, or the texture this dish requires.
• •Use clear, unsalted stock with enough body to taste after chilling. Cold mutes flavor, while salty commercial broth becomes harsher as it reduces.
• •Keep the working tray in the refrigerator between every action. The sauce may wait briefly over ice, but the foie gras should never linger in a warm kitchen.
• •Serve with thin toasted brioche and sharply dressed bitter leaves on separate plates. A small glass of Sauternes or Jurançon moelleux has the sweetness and acidity to meet the foie gras without exhausting the palate.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Pain de Foie Gras (No. 1741) at least one day ahead and chill it thoroughly. Its own resting time is separate from the timing given here.
• •The aspic can be made one day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Remelt only the portion needed for the sauce or glaze, using warm water rather than direct high heat.
• •The complete platter can be assembled up to 8 hours before dinner. Protect it with a deep cover that does not touch the glaze and keep it refrigerated.
• •Do not freeze the assembled dish. Freezing makes the cream mask weep and clouds the aspic. Refrigerated leftovers should be eaten within 24 hours.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 335g)