TERRINE AND mille feuille
of Mushroom and Confit Celeriac
CONFIT CELERIAC
2 medium celeriac
1 litre (2¼ pints) Rendered Duck Fat
½ head garlic, cloves separated
3 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt and freshly ground pepper
MUSHROOM DUXELLES
300 g (10½ oz) Swiss brown mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
300 g (10½ oz) button mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
200 g (7 oz) shiitake mushrooms, wiped clean and quartered
80 ml (2¾ fl oz) non-scented cooking oil
120 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, roughly crushed
6 sprigs thyme
salt and freshly ground pepper
juice of ½ lemon
MILLE FEUILLE
slices confit celeriac
16 slices confit celeriac
800 g (1 lb 8 oz) small, even-sized mushrooms (a selection of shiitake, shimiji, oyster, nameko and chestnut), wiped clean
80 ml (2¾ fl oz) non-scented cooking oil
120 g (4 oz) unsalted butter
¼ cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely shredded to a chiffonade
salt and freshly ground pepper
few drops lemon juice
TO SERVE
200 g (7 oz) Mushroom Purée
At Bécasse we use a small hors d’oeuvres terrine mould to make the terrine, which is about 5 cm (2 in) high, 5.5 cm (2¼in) wide and roughly 30 cm (12 in) long. Try to buy one with removable sides. The terrine is best made the day before to allow adequate pressing time.
The confit method of preparing food comes from the French term meaning ‘to preserve’. It is a method of slow-cooking in fat (rendered pork, duck or goose) or an aromatic oil.
TO CONFIT THE CELERIAC, clean and peel the celeriac then use a sharp knife to cut into 2 mm slices. Put the rendered duck fat into a shallow braising dish and heat gently to about 75°C (165°F). Use the blade of a heavy knife or the palm of your hand to smash the garlic cloves roughly and add them to the duck fat with thyme and bay leaf and season to taste.
Add the celeriac slices, and cover with a piece of greaseproof paper, cut to fit the dish. Place a plate on top to keep the vegetables submerged in the fat. Cover the pan and cook at a very low even temperature, between 70–80°C (160–175°F) for around 30 minutes. Don’t allow the fat to simmer – you should just see the odd bubble rising to the surface. Drain the celeriac, which should be tender but not mushy. Set aside 16 large slices of celeriac for the mille feuilles, reserving the rest for the terrine. Discard the aromatics and reserve the duck fat for another recipe.
TO MAKE THE MUSHROOM DUXELLES, heat a heavy-based frying pan over a high heat until smoking. Add a drizzle of the oil followed quickly by a large handful of the mushrooms. Sauté briefly until light and golden. Add a knob of butter to the pan and heat to a nutbrown foam. Add a clove of garlic and a sprig of thyme and season with salt and pepper. Caramelise for a few more seconds then add a drop of lemon juice. Tip into a colander to drain, reserving the fat for the terrine.
Repeat this procedure until all the ingredients are used. Only cook a large handful of mushrooms at a time – if you overcrowd the pan they will stew in their own juices, and end up pale and rubbery.
When all the mushrooms have been cooked and drained, tip them out onto a work surface and use a large sharp knife to chop to a coarse, rather chunky duxelles.Tip into a large bowl and season well.
TO ASSEMBLE THE TERRINE, doubleline your mould with cling film, leaving a generous overhang. Arrange overlapping slices of celeriac over the bottom and up the sides of the mould. Spread a layer of mushroom duxelles on top and drizzle on a generous spoonful of the reserved mushroom pan juices. Press firmly into the mould. Continue to build the terrine with alternating layers of celeriac and mushroom duxelles, finishing with a layer of celeriac. Fold the cling film over the top and weigh down with a 1 kg (2 lb) weight. Refrigerate overnight.
TO PREPARE THE MILLE FEUILLE, trim the reserved celeriac slices to even-sized rectangles. Sauté the mushrooms in the oil and butter, following the method described above. Again, only cook a large handful of mushrooms at a time. When all the mushrooms have been cooked and drained, tip them into a mixing bowl, toss through the parsley and season with salt and pepper and a drop of lemon juice.
WHEN READY TO SERVE, gently warm through the mushroom purée. Unmould the terrine, remove the cling film and use a very sharp knife to cut it into 8 slices. Place a slice of terrine on each warm serving plate and spoon a little of the purée next to it. Assemble the mille feuille on each plate by stacking alternate layers of celeriac and sautéed mushrooms. Serve straightaway.
If you wish to serve the terrine hot, carefully pan-fry each slice over a medium heat in a little lightly foaming butter.
Serves 8 as an entrée