Duck Pithivier
Foie Gras, Five-Spice Blend, Green Chard, Apple, and Endive
Chef Nicolas Delaroque of Nico | San Francisco
Yield: 6 servings
Adapted by StarChefs | june 2019
INGREDIENTS:
Five-Spice Blend
Yield: 25 servings
38 grams Szechuan peppercorns
25 grams star anise pods
20 cloves
42 grams cinnamon stick
50 grams fennel seeds
Farce:
540 grams ground pork
250 grams duck liver
2 cloves garlic
16 grams salt
1 pinch pink salt
45 grams Port
45 grams Grand Marnier
Foie Gras:
500 grams foie gras, cut into ⅓-inch-thick slices
6 grams salt
2 pinches Espelette pepper
Pinch of sugar
To Assemble and Serve:
2 duck breasts
Salt (1.5 percent by weight of duck)
1 bunch green chard, ribs removed, blanched, patted dry
3 sheets puff pastry
Egg wash
Duck jus
Apple purée
Sliced endive
METHOD:
For the Five-Spice Blend:
In a spice grinder, grind spices to fine powder. Store in an airtight container.
For the Farce:
In a chilled bowl, combine pork, liver, garlic, salts, sugar, and 7 grams Five-Spice Blend. Through a chilled meat grinder fitted with a fine die, grind mixture into another chilled bowl. Add port and Grand Marnier, mix, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
For the Foie Gras:
Season foie gras with salt, Espelette, and sugar. Place in a shallow hotel pan, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
To Assemble and Serve:
Season duck with salt. Cover and cure overnight. Cut each duck breast into thirds. Into 3½-inch, half-sphere molds, layer chard, making sure to allow for at least 1½-inches of overhang. Spoon 70 grams of Farce into each chard-lined mold. Top with a slice of Foie Gras and finish with a piece of duck breast. Close with the overhanging pieces of chard. Refrigerate 2 hours. Heat oven to 195ºC. Roll out puff pastry. From pastry sheets, cut six 16-centimeter diameter circles and six 11-centimeter diameter circles. On the center of the smaller circles, place chard wrapped half-spheres. Cover with the larger circles. Press to seal edges, completing a dome-shaped meat pie. Brush pithiviers with egg wash, thrice, rest 45 minutes between each coating. On a sheet tray, bake pithiviers 13 minutes; rest 20 minutes. Cut pithiviers in half and arrange on serving plates atop duck jus. Finish with apple purée and endive.
