Serves 6
Ingredients
3 veal kidneys, trimmed of fat by the butcher
100 g (3½ oz) butter, chopped
50 g (1¾ oz) dried black trumpet mushrooms
6 rashers of bacon, rind removed, chopped
3 bulb spring onions (scallions), finely chopped
2 carrots, cooked and diced
2 parsnips, cooked and diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste(concentrated purée)
200 ml (7 fl oz) veal stock
3 sheets (25 x 25 cm/10 x 10 inches) frozen puff pastry, partially thawed
1 egg yolk, lightly whisked
Salt and pepper
Method
The kidneys
Cut the kidneys into 1.5 cm (5⁄8 inch) pieces then devein.Melt half of the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat.Brown the kidneys, stirringoccasionally, for around5 minutes. Transfer the kidneys to a colander to drainand leave to rest for 5 minutes.
The filling
Place the mushrooms in a heatproof bowl, cover withboiling water and leave to rehydrate for 5 minutes. Drainthen squeeze them in a clean tea towel (dish towel) toremove any excess moisture. Melt the remaining butterin a clean frying pan over a medium heat. Sauté themushrooms, bacon, spring onion, carrot and parsnip.Add the tomato paste and veal stock, then add thekidneys and bring to the boil. Cook, stirring occasionally,for 5 minutes, or until the mixture reaches a syrupyconsistency. Season, then transfer to a bowl and coolslightly. Refrigerate until completely cooled.
The pie
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/Gas 4). Lightly greasea 20 cm (8 inch) spring-form cake tin. Line the base andside of the tin with two pastry sheets, slightly overlapping.Press the pastry sheets together to seal. Trim the pastry,leaving a 1 cm (½ inch) border above the tin. Refrigeratefor 30 minutes.Spoon the cooled filling into the lined tin. Cut a 20 cm(8 inch) circle from the remaining pastry. Moisten theedge then place on top, pressing the pastry edgestogether to seal. Trim any excess pastry and make a holein the middle (it will act as a ‘chimney’). Glaze the top ofthe pie with the egg yolk and bake for 45 minutes, oruntil golden. Stand in the tin for 5 minutes. Serve hot.
Ripaillesby Stephane Reynaud (£26), published by Murdoch Books.
Photography: Marie Pierre Morel