SAMUEL PINARD’S DELUXE PÂTÉ CHINOIS
If you can’t find duck confit, add any other meat of choice or omit it entirely. This shepherd’s pie is not baked in a dish, but assembled on each plate individually. Chef Samuel Pinard serves this with green tomato ketchup, also called chow chow.
Serves: 4
1 lb (454-g) veal blade roast 1 cup (250 mL) beef stock 1 leg duck confit, skinned and sliced into 1-inch (2.5-cm) pieces 3 Spanish onions, peeled and sliced as thinly as possible 2 tbsp (30 mL) butter 2 tbsp (30 mL) vegetable oil 3 oz (86 g) smoked Gouda or aged cheddar, grated 3/4 cup (180 mL) corn kernels, fresh or frozen 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter 3 medium-sized Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in quarters 1/3 cup (80 mL) 35 per cent cream Salt and pepper to taste
1. Prepare the braised meats: Preheat your oven to 325 F (160 C).
2. Season the veal with salt and pepper, place it in a lidded pot that will hold it snugly in one even layer, pour over the beef stock, cover with the lid (or tightly with tin foil) and slow-roast until the meat is very tender, about 3 hours.
3. Remove from the oven, lift the meat out of the pan, (reserve the juices) and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) cubes. Mix in the duck meat.
4. Pour the braising juices into a mediumsized pot and reduce by half, or until the sauce is thickened enough to lightly coat the back of a spoon.
5. Stir in the reserved meats and keep warm (this mix can be completed a day ahead and refrigerated).
6. Meanwhile, prepare the onion confit: In a large Dutch oven, melt the 2 tbsp (30 mL) of butter along with the oil. When it foams, add all the onions and sprinkle with salt.
7. Reduce heat to medium-low and cover the pot so that the onions collapse under the heat, about 10 minutes.
8. Remove the lid and continue cooking and stirring for about 45 minutes, or until the onions are soft and a deep golden colour. Check seasonings, and then stir in the grated cheese. Set aside.
9. Prepare the corn: Melt the 1/2 cup (125 mL) butter in a saucepan over medium heat and, when bubbling, add the corn.
10. Cook stirring gently until the kernels are tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside in a warm place.
11. Make the mashed potatoes: Cook the potatoes in plenty of salted boiling water until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well, pass the potatoes through a ricer or food mill into a non-stick pan.
12. Heat over medium-high and stir in all but a spoonful of the butter from the corn mix. Continue stirring while gradually adding in the cream.
13. Stir constantly until the mix starts to stick to the base of the pan. Remove from the heat and keep warm in the pan.
14. To serve: Make sure all the elements — meat, caramelized onions, corn, potatoes — are hot, reheating them if necessary.
15. Divide the meat with some juices over four, warmed dinner plates. Spoon over the onion mixture, then the buttery corn kernels and finish with a dollop of mashed potatoes.
16. With a plastic spatula, scrape up the potato that has stuck to the base of the nonstick pan, and use it to garnish the top of the potatoes on each plate. Serve hot, with a spoonful of ketchup or green ketchup.