BORLOTTI BEAN SOUP WITH DUCK TUILES
WHAT ARE THEY?
Small bowls of creamy bean soup, accompanied by a crisp tuile of duck magret, served hot.
TIME TO MAKE
Preparation: 45 minutes
Cooking: 2 hours 45 minutes to 3 hours
EQUIPMENT
20 small 50 g serving bowls with small spoons
Fine-mesh sieve
Hand-held blender
Piston funnel or small ladle
VARIATION
Replace the borlotti beans with the same quantity of red lentils; the cooking time will be about 30 minutes.
TECHNIQUE TO MASTER
Cutting in mirepoix dice
ADVICE
The cooked beans should still be a little firm.
The tuiles must be lightly golden; they will crisp up as they cool.
WHERE DOES THE CREAMINESS OF THE SOUP COME FROM?
Borlotti beans or red lentils are rich in starch. During cooking, this thickens, giving the soup its texture.
ORGANISATION
1 day before | Make the soup and set aside in the refrigerator in an airtight container. Make the tuiles and set them aside at room temperature between two sheets of paper towel.
On the day | Reheat the soup to a simmer in a saucepan. Plate up.
MAKES 20
1 BEANS
1 small brown onion
1 small carrot
1 celery stalk
200 g borlotti beans
2 CHICKEN STOCK
1 onion
1 carrot
1.5 litres (6 cups) water
30 g powdered chicken stock
3 thyme sprigs
2 fresh bay leaves
3 BEAN CRÈME
30 g (very small stalk) celery
30 g onion (about ½ onion)
1 garlic clove
10 g olive oil
salt and pepper
4 TUILES
20 slices (about 200 g) smoked duck magret
1 To prepare the beans, peel the onion and carrot and cut in half, and cut the celery into two or three lengths. Fill a saucepan with 1.5 litres water. Add the vegetables and the beans and heat until just simmering. Reduce the heat and cook at a low simmer for 1 hour to 1 hour 30 minutes.
2 Drain, then set aside about 20 beans in the refrigerator to use as a garnish. Discard the onion, carrot and celery.
3 To make the chicken stock, peel the onion and carrot and cut in half. Heat 1.5 litres water in a saucepan with the powdered chicken stock, onion, carrot, thyme and bay leaves. Simmer for about 1 hour. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve or fine strainer and set aside 700 g for the soup.
4 To make the bean soup, cut the celery and onion in mirepoix dice. Peel and degerm the garlic, then crush with the back of a knife.
5 Heat the olive oil in a saucepan then sweat the onion and celery. Add the garlic and cooked beans, then cook for 2 minutes.
6 Add the reserved chicken stock and cook for about 30 minutes.
7 Purée the soup in a blender then strain through a fine-mesh sieve or a fine strainer. Adjust the seasoning. Allow to cool.
8 Preheat the oven to 180°C. Lay the duck magret slices on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Cover with another sheet of baking paper then another baking tray so that the tuiles will stay flat.
9 Put in the oven for 15–20 minutes. Set aside on a tray between two sheets of paper towel.
10 Reheat the soup in a saucepan until simmering. Fill the serving bowls using a piston funnel or small ladle. Add a reserved borlotti bean and a duck magret tuile. Put in a small spoon and serve straight away.
