Carrot-and-Mustard Rillettes
Carrot-andMustard Rillettes from Dorie Greenspan’s just-released “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook.” Chef Katie Brown leads a Cookbook Club demonstration session at Wakeman Town Farm.
Prep: 40 minutes, plus standing time Cook: 10 minutes Makes: 4 servings
From “Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook” by Dorie Greenspan. Both the rillettes and the spread can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. “For the mustard, use strong fresh mustard and use both smooth and grainy,” Greenspan writes. “Try to get French Dijon mustard — its flavor is best in this dish.”
Rillettes:
1 pound carrots, peeled, trimmed Fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cumin 1⁄2 teaspoon caraway seeds, chopped or crushed
2 ounces Comte or other nutty firm cheese, cut into small cubes
2 1⁄2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard, preferably French
2 1⁄2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard, preferably French 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Spread:
1⁄2 teaspoon mustard seeds, optional 1⁄4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard, preferably French
1 teaspoon grainy Dijon mustard,
preferably French
Fine sea salt and freshly ground
pepper
For serving:
Bread, sliced (such as rye, baguette,
country bread or multigrain) Fresh cilantro leaves, optional Extra-virgin olive oil, optional
For the rillettes, cut the carrots in half the long way, then cut each half in half (so that you have 4 long pieces per carrot), and slice each piece crosswise about
1⁄2 inch thick. (If your carrots are slender, you can just cut them lengthwise in half and slice them.) Season the carrots with a little salt and pepper and put them in a steamer basket over (or in) a saucepan of simmering water. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until the carrots are crisp-tender — they should retain some of their crunch and be only a bit firmer than the cheese. Spoon the carrots into a bowl and season with 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt, a few turns of the pepper mill, the cumin and the caraway seeds. Let stand for 30 minutes.
Mix the cheese, both mustards and the olive oil into the carrots. Let the rillettes “ripen” at room temperature for at least 1 hour, or up to 3 hours, before tasting for seasoning and serving. (If you want to keep the rillettes for up to 2 days, cover and refrigerate.)
For the spread, if you’re using the mustard seeds, toss them into a small dry skillet and heat until they’re toasted, about 2 minutes. Turn the seeds out into a bowl, add the mayonnaise, yogurt and both mustards and stir to blend. Taste and season with salt and pepper if you think the spread needs it. (You can use the spread now, or cover and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.)
To assemble, lightly toast the bread and cover the slices with the spread. Top with the rillettes and, if you like, scatter over some cilantro. Drizzle over a little olive oil — or don’t — and, if the slices of bread are large, cut into smaller pieces. Serve immediately. Nutrition information per serving: 228 calories, 17 g fat, 5 g saturated fat, 22 mg cholesterol, 11 g carbohydrates, 5 g sugar, 6 g protein, 595 mg sodium, 3 g fiber