Côtelettes de Faisan

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor with metal blade
• •8-inch (20 cm) square metal pan
• •Deep roasting dish for the bain-marie
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Medium heavy saucepan
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Wire rack and rimmed tray
• •Offset spatula and long slicing knife
• •Chilled oval serving platter

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and bloom

   Chill the food processor bowl and blade for 15 minutes. Keep the pheasant, egg whites, and cream in the refrigerator until the moment they are needed. In one small bowl, sprinkle 2 teaspoons of the gelatin over 2 tablespoons of the cold water; in another, sprinkle the remaining 3 teaspoons over the remaining 3 tablespoons. Leave both portions to bloom until swollen and opaque.

   Cold is structural here. Warm meat and cream lose their emulsion in the processor, leaving a grainy mousseline that releases fat during cooking.
2. 2

   Make the mousseline

   Process the cold pheasant with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt, 1/4 teaspoon of the white pepper, and the nutmeg until very fine, stopping to scrape the bowl. Add the egg whites and process until the paste turns sticky and uniform. With the machine running, pour in 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the cold cream in a thin stream, reserving 2 tablespoons. Stop as soon as the mousseline, the fine pheasant-and-cream emulsion, is smooth and glossy. If it begins looking oily or feels warmer than cool room temperature, stop immediately, chill the bowl for 15 minutes, then process in the reserved cream a teaspoon at a time. Fry or gently poach a teaspoonful, taste it cold, and adjust the remaining salt and pepper before proceeding.

3. 3

   Poach the slab

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter an 8-inch (20 cm) square pan and line its base with parchment. Spread in the mousseline, pressing it firmly into the corners and smoothing the surface to an even thickness. Cover directly with buttered parchment, then set the pan in a roasting dish and add hot water halfway up its sides to make a bain-marie, a water bath. Cook for 22 to 28 minutes, until the center reaches 165°F (74°C) and feels set without browning. Lift the pan from the water, uncover it, and cool for 20 minutes. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

4. 4

   Build the chaud-froid

   Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the stock for the aspic. Bring the remaining 2 1/2 cups to a lively simmer and reduce it to 1 1/2 cups. In a clean saucepan, melt the 3 tablespoons of butter, stir in the flour, and cook for 2 minutes without allowing the roux to color. Whisk in the reduced stock gradually, then simmer gently for 10 minutes, whisking along the bottom. Add the remaining 3/4 cup cream and simmer until the sauce coats the back of a spoon in an opaque layer. Remove it from the heat, whisk in the smaller portion of bloomed gelatin and the lemon juice, then strain through a fine sieve. Taste for salt and white pepper. Press parchment against the surface and let the sauce cool.

5. 5

   Set the aspic

   Warm the reserved 1 1/2 cups stock without boiling. Remove it from the heat and stir in the larger portion of bloomed gelatin until completely dissolved. Strain it into a shallow container and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours. This aspic supplies both the clear final glaze and the diced garnish, so keep it pale and clean rather than seasoning it aggressively.

6. 6

   Cut the côtelettes

   Invert the thoroughly chilled mousseline onto a board and remove the parchment. With a long knife dipped in hot water and wiped dry, cut the square into two equal bands, then cut each band into four rectangles, making eight pieces. Round one short end of each piece and taper the opposite end to suggest a small côtelette. Clean and reheat the knife between cuts. If the edges drag or crumble, stop. Ça se rattrape: press any loose mousse gently back into place, return the pieces to the refrigerator for 45 minutes, and trim them again with the hot, dry knife.

7. 7

   Mask with chaud-froid

   Set the côtelettes on a wire rack over a tray. Cool the sauce chaud-froid until it has the body of thick pouring cream, then spoon it over each piece in one continuous pass, covering the top and sides. Chill for 10 minutes and apply a second thin coat wherever the mousse shows through. If the sauce slides off, it is too warm; chill it briefly and try again. If it lands in ridges or clumps, it is too cold; warm it gently over hot water and whisk until smooth. Temperature, not extra liquid, is the correction.

8. 8

   Decorate and glaze

   While the final coating is still slightly tacky, place a neat slice or diamond of truffle on each côtelette. Chill for 20 minutes. Cut one-third of the firm aspic into small cubes for serving, then melt the remainder very gently and cool it until slightly viscous but still fluid. Brush each côtelette with a thin, even coat. If the aspic pools or softens the sauce beneath it, it is too warm; chill both components for 10 minutes, allow the surface to reset, and apply another thin coat.

9. 9

   Chill and serve

   Transfer the glazed côtelettes to a cold oval platter and arrange them in a slightly overlapping fan. Tuck the diced aspic around them without burying their shape. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set the finish, then take the platter out 10 minutes before serving so the pheasant and truffle are cool rather than numb. Serve two côtelettes per person. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Choose pheasant breasts without shot damage and remove every trace of skin, tendon, and silver membrane. These tough strands survive the processor and spoil the smooth cut face.
• •The stock decides both the sauce and the aspic. Use a pale pheasant or chicken stock with good body, not a dark roasted stock, which muddies the ivory coating. A good frozen stock is the honest home equivalent of the brigade pot that never left the fire.
• •Fresh black truffle is splendid when available, but a whole preserved truffle is the classical pantry's sensible answer out of season. Drain it well and slice it thinly; truffle paste cannot make the clean decoration this preparation requires.
• •Serve the côtelettes with a simply dressed bitter-leaf salad and bread, not a crowd of competing garnishes. A full-bodied dry white Burgundy has enough weight for the pheasant, cream, and truffle.

Advance Preparation

• •Cook the mousseline slab up to two days ahead and keep it covered in the refrigerator. Leave it uncut until firm; this protects the surface and gives the knife clean resistance.
• •The sauce chaud-froid and aspic can be prepared a day ahead. Rewarm the sauce gently over hot water and remelt the glazing portion of aspic without boiling either one.
• •The finished glazed côtelettes may be refrigerated overnight on their serving platter. Cover them with a deep lid or an inverted tray that cannot touch the glossy surface.
• •Keep the dish at or below 40°F (4°C) and return leftovers promptly to the refrigerator. Eat them within two days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 520g)