Concombres Farcis.—B

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Melon baller or sturdy 1-teaspoon measuring spoon
• •Snug 7-quart (6.6 L) oval casserole with lid
• •2 pieces unbleached cheesecloth, each about 18 by 18 inches (46 by 46 cm)
• •Uncoated kitchen string
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Thin, sharp slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Shape the cucumbers

   Peel the cucumbers completely and trim only enough from the ends to make them even. Split each one precisely in half lengthwise. With a melon baller or sturdy teaspoon, the root-spoon's honest home equivalent, remove the wet seed core while leaving a shell about 3/8 inch (1 cm) thick along the base and sides. Keep each pair together so its halves will meet properly when reconstructed.

   Choose straight cucumbers of nearly equal thickness. A deeply curved cucumber can still be filled, but its halves slide under the string and its roundels emerge uneven.
2. 2

   Parboil without cooling

   Bring the water and salt to a full boil in a vessel long enough to hold the cucumber halves. Lower them in and parboil for 3 minutes, just until they bend slightly without becoming limp. Lift them carefully and drain cut-side down on a clean cloth without rinsing or cooling them. Pat the cavities dry. If a half begins to split, remove it immediately and keep the split facing upward; the bacon and cheesecloth will contain it later.

3. 3

   Blend and fill

   Fold the cold Duxelles into the cold Chicken Forcemeat prepared with Frangipan. The source requires Duxelles equal to one-third the forcemeat's weight, so the 300 g to 100 g ratio governs, whatever the volume measures suggest. Work gently and stop as soon as the mushrooms are evenly dispersed. If the mixture grows slack or the bowl loses its chill, refrigerate it for 10 to 15 minutes. Ça se rattrape. Sprinkle the cucumber cavities lightly with white pepper, then divide the filling among all four halves and smooth it exactly level with the edges. Any surplus should be poached separately, never mounded onto the cucumbers.

4. 4

   Reconstruct and bind

   Place each cucumber's matching halves together without squeezing. Wrap four bacon slices around each reconstructed cucumber in a close spiral, overlapping the edges so no cucumber is exposed. Roll each bundle tightly in two layers of dampened cheesecloth, tuck in the ends, and tie at 2-inch (5 cm) intervals with kitchen string. The cloth should support the shape without cutting into it. If the seam slips, untie the bundle and chill it for 10 minutes rather than tightening the string harder.

5. 5

   Build the braise

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Melt half the butter in a snug oval casserole over medium-low heat. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until supple but not browned. Add the bouquet garni and lay the wrapped cucumbers over the vegetables. Pour in enough chicken stock to come about one-third of the way up the bundles, reserving at least 1/4 cup (60 ml / 60 g). Dot the bundles with the remaining butter. Cover with a cartouche, a sheet of parchment pressed close to the surface, then put on the lid.

6. 6

   Braise at a tremble

   Bring the liquid just to a bare simmer on the stove, then transfer the covered casserole to the oven. Braise for 35 to 45 minutes, turning the bundles carefully after 20 minutes. The liquid should barely tremble. If it begins bubbling hard, remove the casserole for 2 minutes, lower the oven by 25°F (15°C), and add the reserved cool stock around the sides. Continue until a thin knife enters the cucumber easily but the cylinder remains intact, and the center of the forcemeat reaches 165°F (74°C). Insert the thermometer through an end so the round cut faces remain unmarked.

7. 7

   Unwrap and slice

   Lift the bundles onto a tray and let them rest for 8 to 10 minutes so the forcemeat settles. Snip away the string and remove the cheesecloth and bacon, which were cooking wrappers rather than part of the presentation. If the cloth clings, wet it with a spoonful of hot braising liquor and peel it back slowly. Strain the liquor and keep it warm. With a thin, sharp knife, cut the cucumbers into 3/4-inch (2 cm) roundels for a first course, wiping the blade after every cut. If the filling smears, wait another 5 minutes before continuing. Arrange the roundels on a warm platter and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of strained braising liquor around them for moisture and gloss. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Frangipan here is the classical savory panada used in forcemeat, not the almond filling used in pastry. Reach for the finished Chicken Forcemeat prepared with Frangipan named by the source and keep it cold until assembly.
• •The Duxelles must be cooked until dry before it is chilled. Wet mushrooms loosen the forcemeat and make the slices weep; if moisture remains in the pan, cook it away before measuring the required one-third weight.
• •Use the scale for the three-to-one ratio: 300 g forcemeat to 100 g Duxelles. Their densities differ, so the cup measures are useful for handling but cannot preserve the book's proportion as precisely.
• •Choose thin, unsmoked bacon. Its work is to baste and protect the cucumber during the braise, not to make every bite taste of smoke, and it comes off with the cheesecloth before slicing.
• •Pour a dry white with enough body for the chicken and mushrooms, such as a white Mâcon. Serve the roundels warm, four or five per guest, with the braising liquor used sparingly.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare the Chicken Forcemeat with Frangipan and the Duxelles up to one day ahead and chill them separately. Combine them only when the cucumbers have been parboiled and drained.
• •The cucumbers may be braised one day ahead. Rest them for 10 minutes, remove all wrappings, cool the cylinders promptly, and refrigerate them whole with the strained braising liquor stored separately.
• •For service, slice the chilled cucumbers, arrange them in a covered baking dish with a few spoonfuls of braising liquor, and reheat at 300°F (150°C) for 12 to 15 minutes, until the centers reach 165°F (74°C). Do not freeze them; thawed cucumber loses the firm ring that holds each roundel together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 390g)