RCP - Foie Gras and Portobellos

Very simple recipe (can't think of many with this few ingredients - even a PBJ sanny has more if you butter it) that is high on the taste scale.

Stack 3 sheets of phyllo dough, brushing each layer with olive oil and dusting with salt and pepper before adding the next one.

Put a small cleaned portobello in the middle of each phyllo 'stack' and put a tablespoon of foie gras in the middle of the cup of the mushroom.

Pull up the sides of the phyllo to make a beggar's purse and tie with twine. Can be made ahead and refrigerated.

Bake at 350 deg. until the phyllo is golden brown, and let sit a few minutes. remove twine and serve.

Only 3 main ingredients but they make a wonderful Fall treat that goes superbly with anything from Pinot, to Sauternes.

That looks very yummy! And I'm already thinking of scaling down to cremini size....

Or pack the phyllo with morels stuffed with foie gras......

Morels in cream or vin jaune sauce... confit duck and a preserved cherry... a scallop and a dollop of creme fraiche and caviar...

That looks sensational, and simple and versatile. Ticks lots of boxes. Thanks particularly for the photo which shows the great presentation.

Yes - the earthiness of the mushroom, and part of the FG would melt and baste it, leaving some still there.

I think a bit of salt is essential. Bet you can't eat just one....

[Jenise]

That looks sensational, and simple and versatile. Ticks lots of boxes. Thanks particularly for the photo which shows the great presentation.

Agreed, but the photo is misleading. The pastry shown is a crepe, not phyllo.

Searched for a pic and that's all I could find - you are quite right about the pastry.

PS - this is not on the menu for my next dinner.....

[Jenise]

Searched for a pic and that's all I could find - you are quite right about the pastry.

PS - this is not on the menu for my next dinner.....

It actually gives me a great idea. I'm considering doing crepes for our wine club Christmas dinner. In beggars purses, we could make ahead, and the presentation is more compact than a folded crepe.

Perfect!
You can assemble these and refrigerate them for a day ahead if you want. For one of your feed-the-masses events you might want to omit the chive 'tie'

[Jenise]

The problem with advance preparation is the danger of the crepe turning soggy from a moist filling. I need to fit a luxury seafood into the menu, like lobster or scallops.

Yeah, but if you use phyllo instead of crepe, that shouldn't be an issue.

[Jenise]

Yeah, but if you use phyllo instead of crepe, that shouldn't be an issue.

You're sure right about that, but the dinner theme is French. And crepes are recognizably French--good impact on the plate.

[Jenise]

Adding: so if the wrapper isn't French, the filling would have to be. My brain is racing to think of a way to put lobster bisque into a solid form that could be wrapped like that. My original plan on the crepe is ratatouille filled.

Adding: so if the wrapper isn't French, the filling would have to be. My brain is racing to think of a way to put lobster bisque into a solid form that could be wrapped like that. My original plan on the crepe is ratatouille filled.

Easy - disc of lobster with a spoon of foie gras on top!

Only thing you'd have to consider is the cook on the lobster - a choice of butter poaching ahead of time and risking it getting tough, or (what I'd try) putting the uncooked disc in the phyllo with a bit of FG on top and allowing the lobster to poach and be bathed in FG as the phyllo cooks.

Or revert to my recipe - just call them champignons instead of mushrooms! champignons baigné au foie gras

[Jenise]

I'd be worried, actually, about trusting FG to a surrogate cook who has never handled it before. I'll be tied up with the main. Though I do really love the idea of doing FG.

Adding: so if the wrapper isn't French, the filling would have to be. My brain is racing to think of a way to put lobster bisque into a solid form that could be wrapped like that. My original plan on the crepe is ratatouille filled.

Make coquille st jacques but keep the sauce on the stiff side.

[Jenise]

"Stiff side"--yeah, would have to do that with the bisque too, but the Coquille is an even better idea. Will work on that!

If the filling is on the slightly gooey side, the phyllo is a better choice of pastry - but I wouldn't put them back in the fridge like you can for my recipe, I'd be afraid they might suffer.

BTW (sure I don't need to mention it to you Jenise) if you are encasing anything 'gooey' in phyllo, instead of doing it freehand by just pulling the pastry up and tieing it, I find that using a plating ring to make a pocket first, then fill it and tie before taking it out of the ring keeps things neat and the filling doesn't go walkabout.

But think about just one large scallop in the 'purse' with a spoon of garlic butter instead of FG on top and maybe a dash of dill, or soupcon of saffron. Mmmm - butter basted saffron scallop beggar's purse.......

[Jenise]

If the filling is on the slightly gooey side, the phyllo is a better choice of pastry - but I wouldn't put them back in the fridge like you can for my recipe, I'd be afraid they might suffer.

BTW (sure I don't need to mention it to you Jenise) if you are encasing anything 'gooey' in phyllo, instead of doing it freehand by just pulling the pastry up and tieing it, I find that using a plating ring to make a pocket first, then fill it and tie before taking it out of the ring keeps things neat and the filling doesn't go walkabout.

But think about just one large scallop in the 'purse' with a spoon of garlic butter instead of FG on top and maybe a dash of dill, or soupcon of saffron. Mmmm - butter basted saffron scallop beggar's purse.......

Whatever we do I have to do 90 servings, so last minute fussery is out of the question, and I have to teach it to someone who invariably won't be as patient and fussy as I am in the initial assembly earlier in the day.

Another possibility is to think vol-au-vent but pre-bake phyllo shells, then fill them with the hot Coquille St. Jacques mixture at service. I have three ovens at my disposal but two of those will be holding the main course beef. These dinners are a logistical nightmare--a big puzzle and all the pieces have to fit.

Whatever we do I have to do 90 servings, so last minute fussery is out of the question, and I have to teach it to someone who invariably won't be as patient and fussy as I am in the initial assembly earlier in the day.

Another possibility is to think vol-au-vent but pre-bake phyllo shells, then fill them with the hot Coquille St. Jacques mixture at service. I have three ovens at my disposal but two of those will be holding the main course beef. These dinners are a logistical nightmare--a big puzzle and all the pieces have to fit.

I once did a shrimp pot pie for a potluck dinner: make a kettle of shrimp, chorizo, cream, etc., bake-off some puff-pastry shells, then it's just bread-on-plate, ladle-goop-over-the-top, bread-on-plate, ladle....

I've got a picture around here somewhere.

The problem with advance preparation is the danger of the crepe turning soggy from a moist filling. I need to fit a luxury seafood into the menu, like lobster or scallops.

Jenise, I am not sure about the crepe going soggy. I’m making crepes right now which will have a chicken and broccoli in cheese sauce filing. I’ll make one to set aside and see. I do know that people use a crepe to line puff pastry when making beef Wellington to prevent the pastry getting soggy so they must have a waterproof capability.
Crepes are excellent prepare ahead items. Make the batter ahead of time, then cook off crepes at leisure, wrap and store until ready for filling. Easily batched.
I stand in awe of the food projects you take on, and then I swoon

[Jenise]

Whatever we do I have to do 90 servings, so last minute fussery is out of the question, and I have to teach it to someone who invariably won't be as patient and fussy as I am in the initial assembly earlier in the day.

Another possibility is to think vol-au-vent but pre-bake phyllo shells, then fill them with the hot Coquille St. Jacques mixture at service. I have three ovens at my disposal but two of those will be holding the main course beef. These dinners are a logistical nightmare--a big puzzle and all the pieces have to fit.

I once did a shrimp pot pie for a potluck dinner: make a kettle of shrimp, chorizo, cream, etc., bake-off some puff-pastry shells, then it's just bread-on-plate, ladle-goop-over-the-top, bread-on-plate, ladle....

I've got a picture around here somewhere.

Yeah, that's what I meant in an earlier reference to vol-au-vents. And easy to do, fire-brigade style, with a team of platers just at the point of service.

[Jenise]

The problem with advance preparation is the danger of the crepe turning soggy from a moist filling. I need to fit a luxury seafood into the menu, like lobster or scallops.

Jenise, I am not sure about the crepe going soggy. I’m making crepes right now which will have a chicken and broccoli in cheese sauce filing. I’ll make one to set aside and see. I do know that people use a crepe to line puff pastry when making beef Wellington to prevent the pastry getting soggy so they must have a waterproof capability.
Crepes are excellent prepare ahead items. Make the batter ahead of time, then cook off crepes at leisure, wrap and store until ready for filling. Easily batched.
I stand in awe of the food projects you take on, and then I swoon

Flour, egg and milk--nothing waterproof about that, though I understand your point. In a Wellie they might act more as a diaper than a raincoat.

But yes, crepes do make ahead and hold very well--and the visual impact of it being French Food for those who wouldn't recognize French food from the technique(s) alone is worth a lot for what I'm trying to do.

Btw, I've decided to make crepes for the planning dinner tomorrow. Your "with broccoli in cheese sauce" prep might be better than what I was planning to do. Might switch!