Parfait

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This is a classic parfait recipe using foie gras, chicken livers and other rich ingredients. The presentation of this dish is key, and if you follow Paul Ainsworth's approach, your dinner party guests are sure to be wowed.

First published in 2015

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

To plate

  • olive oil
  • 20ml of vinegar
  • 1 sourdough bread

Equipment

  • Parisian scoop / melon baller
  • Blender

Method

1
To make the parfait, put the foie gras, livers, butter and eggs in four separate bowls and cover with cling film then put in a warm place, except the eggs
2
When all ingredients are soft, add all the ingredients except the butter to a blender, gently blend and slowly add the butter
3
Season with salt, pepper and a touch of brandy. Pass through a fine sieve then distribute into your serving dishes
4
Bake at 90˚C for 10-15 minutes, always checking. Cook until almost firm but still with a touch of give. If it's still not set after this amount of cooking time, continue to cook checking every 5 minutes. Leave in the fridge to firm up and set
5
Cut 2/3 of the cauliflower into florets. Bring a pan of water to the boil and add 1tsp of ground turmeric. Cook the florets till soft then refresh in ice water, peel and chop the cucumber, put these to side with the pickled onions
6
In a pan add 550ml white wine vinegar, 300g caster sugar, 25g english mustard, 12g turmeric, 200g malt vinegar and reduce to a sticky consistency then add 1 tsp of cornflower
  • 550ml of white wine vinegar
  • 300g of caster sugar
  • 25g of English mustard
  • 12g of turmeric
  • 200ml of malt vinegar
  • 1 tsp cornflour
7
Add the cauliflower, cucumber and onions into a blender with the reduction and blitz then pass
8
Use a parisenne baller for the cucumber, take the rest of the cauliflower onto very small florets and blanch
9
Cut the shallots into rings then pop out individual reals and blanch
10
Add the three ingredients into a bowl, dress with a little olive oil and vinegar arrange on the parfait then dot the puree with a little olive oil and vinegar arrange on the parfait then dot the puree in and around. Serve with toasted sourdough
  • olive oil
  • 20ml of vinegar
  • 1 sourdough bread
First published in 2015

Southampton-born Paul Ainsworth got his break courtesy of Gary Rhodes, whom he worked for three years. After that, he moved to Gordon Ramsay's organisation, working first at his flagship Royal Hospital Road restaurant and then with Marcus Wareing at Petrus.

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