Chaud-froid de Faisan à la Buloz

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •1-quart (950 ml) metal dome mould or smooth metal bowl
• •12-inch (30 cm) round serving platter
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small offset spatula or flexible palette knife
• •Shallow dish for setting aspic croûtons

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare the cold station

   Chill a 1-quart (950 ml) dome mould, a rimmed metal tray, and two parchment-lined plates. Keep the melted aspic fluid but cool, about 75°F (24°C), and place a small saucer in the refrigerator for testing the sauces. The mould must be cold and completely dry, because water trapped against the metal weakens the first layer of jelly.

2. 2

   Poêle the pheasant

   Prepare the pheasant according to Poëlings (No. 250), and reserve every spoonful of the aromatic poëling liquor produced by Poëlings (No. 250). The source asks for the bird underdone; at home, keep its moisture without compromising safety by cooking until the thickest breast reaches 160°F (71°C), then rest it covered until the thermometer registers 165°F (74°C). Let it stand for 10 minutes before carving.

   Use an instant-read thermometer. Pheasant breast is lean, and guessing turns it dry long before the rest of this careful work begins.
3. 3

   Raise the suprêmes

   Lift off the suprêmes, the breast fillets, and remove their skin. Slice each across the grain into thin collops about ¼ inch (6 mm) thick, keeping the pieces broad and intact, then chill them on one prepared plate. Chop the carcass and legs, place them in the poëling pan with the reserved liquor and the stock, and simmer gently for 25 to 30 minutes. Strain and degrease this fumet, a concentrated game essence, then reduce it if necessary to about 2¼ cups (540 ml). Keep it hot.

4. 4

   Make brown chaud-froid

   Melt 1½ tablespoons of the butter in a small saucepan, stir in 1½ tablespoons of the flour, and cook until the roux turns hazelnut brown and smells toasted. Gradually whisk in 1¼ cups (300 ml) of the fumet, then simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Remove it from the heat, whisk in ½ cup (120 ml) of the melted aspic, and season with black pepper and enough salt to taste clear and savoury when dabbed on the chilled saucer. Cool the sauce, stirring often, until it reaches about 86°F (30°C) and falls from the spoon in a thick ribbon. Coat every collop evenly and lay it on the chilled plate. If the glaze runs off, it is too warm; chill it for a few minutes. If it sets in ridges before you can spread it, warm the bowl briefly over warm water and whisk. Ça se rattrape.

5. 5

   Glaze the mushrooms

   Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a small pan. Add the grooved mushrooms and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of fumet, cover, and cook gently for 5 to 7 minutes, just until tender and still pale. Drain and chill them. For the white chaud-froid, melt another 1½ tablespoons of butter, stir in the remaining 1½ tablespoons of flour, and cook for 1 minute without colouring. Whisk in ¾ cup (180 ml) fumet and the cream, then simmer gently until smooth and thick enough to coat a spoon. Remove from the heat, whisk in ½ cup (120 ml) aspic, and season with white pepper and salt. Cool to about 86°F (30°C), coat all ten mushrooms, and set them on the second chilled plate. Test and correct the consistency exactly as for the brown sauce.

6. 6

   Form the semolina cushion

   Bring the water to a boil with 1 teaspoon of the salt. Rain in the semolina while whisking, then cook over low heat for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring until very thick and pulling cleanly from the pan. Beat in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Spread it immediately into a smooth disc about 8 inches (20 cm) wide and ¾ inch (2 cm) high in the centre of a round serving platter. Cover and chill until firm. Pour ¾ cup (180 ml) of the remaining aspic into a shallow dish to a depth of about ¼ inch (6 mm). Chill until fully set, then cut it into small diamonds. These are the aspic croûtons, cut pieces of jelly used to border the finished dish.

7. 7

   Clothe the mould

   Clothe the chilled dome mould with clear aspic following Another Method of Preparing Aspics de Filets de Soles (No. 916): pour in enough cool liquid aspic to coat the interior, rotate the mould slowly over the chilled tray, and drain away the excess when an even layer about ⅛ inch (3 mm) thick has set. Fix the truffle slices to the base and sides with drops of aspic, arranging them simply enough that the pheasant remains visible. If the coating slides, the mould or jelly is too warm. Chill both for 5 minutes and repeat; the first layer must hold before anything heavier touches it.

8. 8

   Build alternating rows

   Arrange the brown-coated pheasant collops and white-coated mushrooms alternately against the sides of the mould, keeping the presentation faces outward. After each row, spoon in a thin film of cool aspic and chill for 5 minutes to fix it before adding the next. Fill the centre with the remaining collops and mushrooms, preserving the alternation wherever it will show, then pour in enough aspic to fill every gap and cover the contents. If a piece begins to float, stop pouring, chill until fixed, and continue with the remaining jelly.

9. 9

   Set the dome

   Cover the mould and refrigerate it on a level shelf for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight, until the aspic is firm through the centre. Do not freeze it. Freezing clouds the jelly, weakens its structure, and spoils the clean surface the dish depends upon.

10. 10

    Unmould and serve

    Run the tip of a thin knife only around the top edge. Dip the mould in warm water for 3 to 5 seconds, dry it, and invert it directly onto the cold semolina cushion. If it does not release, return the mould upright and repeat for 2 seconds; too much warmth melts the outer glaze before the centre lets go. Border the cushion with the clear aspic croûtons and serve the chaud-froid well chilled, cutting through the dome with a thin, sharp knife. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The aspic must taste slightly more seasoned than seems necessary when warm. Cold mutes salt and aroma, and a timid jelly leaves the whole dome mute. Taste a spoonful after setting it on the chilled saucer before committing the mould.
• •Farmed pheasant gives the most predictable size and tenderness. Guinea fowl can follow the same architecture if pheasant cannot be found, but the flavour changes and the finished dish is no longer Chaud-froid de Faisan.
• •A metal dome mould releases more cleanly than silicone and chills quickly. A smooth metal mixing bowl of the same capacity is an honest substitute; the shape matters, not a specialized antique.
• •Coat one pheasant collop as a test. If the brown chaud-froid sets in a smooth, opaque film within half a minute on the cold meat, the temperature is right. That small test saves an entire tray of patchwork.
• •Serve with a dry white Burgundy or a restrained Champagne. The wine needs enough structure for pheasant and truffle, but no heavy sweetness against the cold aspic.

Advance Preparation

• •Assemble and set the entire dome the day before serving. Keep it covered in the mould, then unmould it onto the semolina cushion shortly before the guests sit down.
• •The pheasant and fumet can be prepared earlier in the day. Chill the suprêmes promptly and refrigerate the strained fumet, then warm only the amount needed for the sauces.
• •The semolina cushion and aspic croûtons can be made a day ahead, covered, and kept cold. Serve the finished chaud-froid within two days and return leftovers promptly to the refrigerator.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 725g)