Glazed 'tart' of pig cheeks and penny bun, roasted celeriac, pear sorbet and wild cress

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Intricate preparation and muscular flavours characterise this gourmet pig cheek tart recipe from George Blogg, which is encased in delicate celeriac layers. Pear sorbet adds a chilly touch to an otherwise fiery dish.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Celeriac tart casing

Pork cheek filling

Roasted celeriac purée

Pear sorbet

  • 500g of pear purée
  • 300g of water
  • 150g of caster sugar
  • 2g of malic acid
  • 1 gelatine leaf, softened

Puffed pork skin

To serve

  • 1 handful of hairy bittercress, foraged
  • caster sugar for dusting
  • sea salt

Equipment

  • Mandoline
  • Blow torch
  • Sugar thermometer
  • Blender
  • Dehydrator
  • 25cm, loose-bottomed flan tin

Method

1
Preheat the oven to 170˚C/gas mark 3
2
For the tart casing, thinly slice the celeriac on a mandoline or meat slicer. Arrange the slices on a lined baking tray so they overlap and are 2-3 slices deep. Brush the celeriac with melted butter and season with salt and pepper
3
Place another sheet of baking parchment on top, press down with a second tray and cook until roasted and tender. Remove, cool and press in the fridge to cool completely. Once cold, use to line the base and sides of the flan ring
4
Preheat the oven to 90˚C
5
For the filling, place a large saucepan over a high heat and add a dash of vegetable oil. Once the oil is hot, sear the cheeks until dark and golden all over. Remove and deglaze the pan with red wine
6
Bring to the boil and reduce to the consistency of a thin jus. Pass through chinois, then whisk in a few large knobs of butter. Gently break up the pig cheeks and pour the reduced liquor over the meat. Season to taste and arrange in the base of the tart case
7
Return the cheeks to the pan along with the onion, carrot, celery and stocks. Cover and braise in the oven for 6 hours. Remove and allow to cool in the liquor, then strain the liquid into a clean pan
8
For the topping, add a large knob of butter to large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Once foaming, cook down the mushrooms to release all of the moisture and finish with a little salt and lemon juice. Allow to cool and layer the cep slices over the top of the pig cheeks to slightly over-fill the tart. Cover with a layer of cling film and press down with a weighted tray. Set in the fridge for at least 4 hours
9
For the celeriac purée, heat a large knob of butter in a saucepan and once hot, add the celeriac. Cook and caramelise until golden brown, adding a little milk to moisten, then transfer to a food processor and blitz until puréed
10
Pass through a fine strainer, season with salt and a little lemon juice to taste. Ensure the purée is a little thinner than a normal purée, as it will be piped from a bottle at room temperature
11
For the sorbet, combine the water with the caster sugar, malic acid and a pinch of salt in a pan over a medium heat. Once hot, add the softened gelatine leaf and once fully dissolved, remove from the heat and add the pear purée. Store in a Pacojet container and churn before serving
  • 300g of water
  • 150g of caster sugar
  • 2g of malic acid
  • 1 gelatine leaf, softened
  • 500g of pear purée
12
To prepare the pig's skin, blowtorch to remove any hairs, wash off under hot water, then braise in lightly salted water on a low simmer for 4 hours. Leave to cool in the water, then drain and scrape off any fat and meat with a knife. Cut the skin into small pieces and dehydrate until completely dry. This can be stored in an airtight container until ready to deep-fry
13
Add enough vegetable oil for deep-frying to a deep saucepan and heat to 200˚C. Fry for a few seconds until the pork skins puffs up - be careful as the oil will be extremely hot. Once ready, remove from the oil, drain on kitchen towel and season lightly. Coat in a fine cep powder to finish
  • vegetable oil, for deep frying
  • cep powder for dusting
14
Once ready to serve, cut the tart into 14 slices using a stiff, flat-edged knife. Leave at room temperature for 5 minutes, so it is not fridge-cold. Sprinkle with a layer of caster sugar and blowtorch the surface to caramelise, then add a sprinkling of sea salt to the set sugar to finish
15
Wash the hairy bittercress, pick into fronds and wash again. Place the tart onto plates and add a scoop of pear sorbet, a few squeezes of the celeriac purée, puffed pork skin and finally some fronds of hairy bittercress
  • 1 handful of hairy bittercress, foraged
First published in 2015

It all began for George Blogg when his mother was approached by the chef of a local Italian eatery to help out with a few busy services; she declined, but knew of the perfect candidate.

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