Duck and Goat’s Cheese Pithiviers
Ingredients
50g butter
coarsely chopped 2 duck Marylands (about 1.2kg)
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
200 ml red wine
2 thyme sprigs
Pinch of ground allspice
150g soft goat’s cheese
For brushing:
eggwash
1 tbsp olive oil
1 bunch spinach, trimmed
Rough puff pastry:
450g plain flour
450 gm cold unsalted butter, coarsely grated
How to make it
The richness of duck makes it the perfect filling for a pie, while the acidity of the cheese keeps that richness in balance in these goat’s cheese Pithiviers.
To make the pastry
- For rough puff pastry, sift flour and a pinch of salt onto a work surface
- Scatter butter over, then cut and turn butter and flour with a pastry scraper until roughly mixed
- Make a well in the centre, add 185ml iced water and mix with a pastry scraper until a dough forms
- Divide in two, wrap each half in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (20 minutes)
- Working with one piece at a time, roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface to a 1.5cm-thick rectangle
- Fold short ends in to meet in the centre, then fold in half to form a book fold
- Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (20 minutes)
- Repeat with remaining pastry, then repeat rolling, folding and resting twice more for each piece
For the filling
- Preheat oven to 150°C
- Heat butter in a large casserole over medium-high heat
- Add duck skin-side down and cook, turning occasionally, until golden (6-8 minutes)
- Transfer to a plate and set aside
- Add onion and garlic to pan, reduce heat to low, season to taste and stir occasionally until onion is very tender (8-10 minutes)
- Add flour, stir to combine, then gradually add wine, stirring vigorously to remove any lumps
- Return duck to casserole, add thyme and allspice, cover and braise in oven until meat falls from bone (1½-2 hours)
- Cool slightly, remove duck, shred meat and return to sauce (discard skin and bone), then season to taste
To assemble
- Roll out each pastry half on a lightly floured surface to 5mm thick
- Cut out eight 12cm-diameter rounds
- Divide duck mixture among half the pastry rounds, mounding up in centre and leaving a 2cm border, and top with crumbled goat’s cheese
- Brush edges with eggwash and top with remaining pastry rounds, pressing edges to seal
- Brush tops with eggwash and score a pinwheel pattern in the top of each with the back of a knife
- Place on an oven tray lined with baking paper and refrigerate for 30 minutes
Cooking
- Preheat oven to 190°C
- Bake Pithiviers until puffed and golden (35-40 minutes)
Side Dish
- Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat
- Add spinach, cover, stir occasionally until wilted (1 minute) and season to taste
- Serve hot alongside the goat’s cheese pithiviers
Original recipe by Rodney Dunn for Gourmet Traveller.
