In this series, columnist Sibylle Eschapasse interviews some of France’s top chefs, the Maîtres Cuisiniers de France.
See the interview with chef Olivier Desaintmartin here.
Vegetarian Autumn Harvest Fricassée With Chervil
(Melinda Martinez/Celebrity Taste Makers)
Number Serves
4
Ingredients
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 1 shallot, peeled
- 2 ounces butter, at room temperature
- Juice of half a lemon
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Olive oil, for sautéeing
- 1 cup black trumpets, cleaned
- 1 cup chanterelles, cleaned
- 1 cup royal trumpets, cleaned and cut lengthwise
- 1 bunch (about 8) large asparagus, peeled
- 1 cup crosnes (Chinese artichokes), washed but not peeled (or artichoke bottoms cut in large slices)
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 2 bunches chervil (or parsley), stems removed, save one bunch for the end
- 4 square puff pastry shells (3 inches by 3 inches)
- 16 root vegetable chips (store bought, or make with your favorite vegetables—see Tip below)
Directions
To Make the Garlic Butter:
In a food processor, process the garlic and the shallot. Add one bunch of chervil and chop. Add the butter in 2 to 3 batches, chopping in between. Season with lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. When totally incorporated and green in color, put the garlic butter in a bowl.
To Cook the Vegetables:
Mushrooms: In a sauté pan wide enough to hold one layer of mushrooms, add a little bit of oil, season with salt and pepper and add the mushrooms. Sauté until the pan is dry. Set aside.
Asparagus: Bring a large saucepan of water seasoned with salt to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes only. Immediately place them in an ice water bath for 1 minute.
Crosnes: Boil the crosnes in salty water until cooked (like a potato). Set aside.
To Bake the Puff Pastry:
Heat the oven at 425 F.
Make an egg wash and brush the top of each square of puff pastry with it. Use the tip of a paring knife to gently mark another square within the perimeter (about 1/8-inch from the edge).
Bake in the oven for 18 minutes or until light brown. Set in a dry space.
For the Assembly:
Remove the middle square of the pastry with a small knife and set it aside.
Heat two sauté pans and add half of the garlic butter to each one. In one pan, sauté the mushrooms until almost crisp. In the other, season and sauté the crosnes and asparagus until golden brown.
Chop the second bunch of chervil roughly (save four nice sprigs for the end).
Add the cream to the mushrooms and cook until creamy. Add half of the chervil.
For the Plating:
Place the puff pastry in the center of each plate, add the mushroom mixture to the middle of each, letting the mushroom sauce overflow.
Toss the asparagus and the crosnes with the other half of the chervil. Place the asparagus on top of the pastry and mushrooms, and display the crosnes around.
Arrange 3 to 4 root vegetable chips on each plate. Top the plate with the chervil sprigs and serve.
Tip: If making your own chips, use your favorite root vegetables. Wash, peel, and slice them thinly with a mandolin or vegetable peeler. Pat them dry. If baking, heat oven to 375 F, lightly coat chips with oil and seasoning, and bake in a single layer on baking sheets for 20 minutes until crispy. If frying, heat oil to 300 F, fry chips in small batches while stirring so they brown evenly, 2 to 5 minutes. Transfer to paper towels and season.
Recipe by Olivier Desaintmartin
You can watch Desaintmartin demonstrate the full recipe on “Celebrity Taste Makers” on Saturday, Jan. 28, at 6 p.m. on Pix11.
Sibylle Eschapasse is from Paris and lives in New York City. In addition to working at the United Nations, she contributes to various publications and is the host of “Sibylle’s Top French Chefs,” a series being aired on “Celebrity Taste Makers.” She may be reached at [email protected]
