Est Est Est helped shape a defining era of Melbourne dining, and ahead of our Est Est Est 30 Years On dinner, Donovan Cooke opens up the Marriages Cookbook to share his iconic pithivier recipe, taking us right back to the 90’s.
Pithivier of Slippery Jack and Pine Mushrooms, Sauce Maderia
Crisp pastry, herby crepes, slippery mushrooms and truffle-flavoured mousse. The layered colours and earthy aromas combine to make this a quintessentially Autumn dish.
12 large slippery jack mushrooms
8 medium-sized pine mushrooms
4 tablespoons Chicken Mousse (see recipe below)
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
1 teaspoon chopped truffle (optional)
1 tablespoon truffle oil
4 Herb Pancakes (see recipe below)
500g puff pastry
Egg yolk
Sauce
1kg chicken wings, chopped into small pieces
10 shallots, sliced
200g button mushrooms, sliced
1 head garlic, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
375ml Madeira
1 litre veal stock
1 litre chicken stock
1 bay leaf
1 sprig thyme
2 tablespoons cream
50g butter
- Trim the stalks from the slippery jack and pine mushrooms
- Dice the pine mushrooms
- Sauté the slippery jacks in hot olive oil until tender, then cool on kitchen paper
- Sauté the pine mushrooms in hot olive oil and cool on kitchen paper
- Fold the pine mushrooms through the chicken mousse, add the chives, truffle and truffle oil
- Season with salt and pepper, and refrigerate until needed
- Prepare the herb pancakes
- On each pancake smear some chicken mousse, then top with a slippery jack, then more mousse and another slippery jack
- Repeat
- Fold the pancake around the filling to make a neat round parcel
- Refrigerate the parcels while you make the sauce
- For the sauce, sauté the chicken wings in hot vegetable oil until golden brown
- Drain the wings in a colander
- Sweat the shallots and mushrooms in some vegetable oil in a heavy-based saucepan, add the garlic and allow to colour slightly
- Deglaze the pan with sherry vinegar, add the Madeira and reduce by half
- Add the chicken wings, stocks and herbs. Cook this gently for 1 hour
- Strain the stock, return to the pan and reduce by half
- Whisk in the cream and butter. Season with salt and pepper
- When ready to serve, bring back to the boil
- Divide the puff pastry into 4
- On a floured work surface roll out the pastry to a thickness of 3mm. Cut each rectangle in half
- Place the mushroom parcels on 4 pieces, brush around the edges with a little egg yolk and top with the remaining pastry, pressing down carefully to seal
- Refrigerate until firm
- Preheat the oven to 220°C
- Remove the pithiviers from the fridge and with a sharp knife trim around the pastry to create a nice shape
- Using the tip of the knife score the top of the pithiviers for a decorative finish
- Glaze with egg yolk and bake for 12 to 15 minutes
- To serve, cut the pithiviers in half using a serrated knife. Place on warm plates, surround with sauce and serve
Serves 4
Chicken Mousse
3 chicken breasts, skin and sinew removed
4 egg whites
Cayenne
300ml cream
- Refrigerate the bowl of the food processor for 30 minutes
- Cut the chicken into pieces and process until smooth
- Add the egg whites while the machine is still running and process until glossy
- Season with salt, pepper and cayenne, then pulse in the cream. Refrigerate
- Poach a teaspoonful to check the seasoning
- Adjust if necessary
Makes 900g
Herb Pancakes
125g plain flour
2 eggs, beaten
400ml milk
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon chopped chives
- Place the flour in a bowl and whisk in the eggs
- Whisk in the milk, salt and pepper and chives
- Allow to rest in the refrigerator before use
Makes enough for 8 pancakes
