Mushrooms, Sage, and Parsnips with Duck Liver
Crisp packets hold portobello caps filled with duxelles. The packets are placed on parsnips to keep them up off the plate and crisp. Duck livers and sauteed shiitakes accompany the packets; reduced duck sauce is drizzled over the dish. The duxelles mixture is a wonderful stuffing for other things, such as poultry or fish.
Ingredients
- Duxelles
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Shallots - 3, minced
- Mixed mushrooms - 1 pound (shiitake, button, portobello), chopped
- Dry white wine - 3 tablespoons
- Thyme - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Parsley Sprigs - 2, minced
- Marjoram - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 2 - 3 tablespoons
- Mushroom Packets
- Parsnips - 2 small, pared
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Portobello Mushroom Caps - 4 large
- Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Balsamic Vinegar - 2 tablespoons
- Egg - 1
- Cool Water - 1 tablespoon
- Feuille de Brique - 4 sheets
- Sage Leaves - 4
- Duck Sauce
- Duck Stock - 1 cup (see Basics)
- Balsamic Vinegar - 1 tablespoon
- Water - 2 tablespoons
- Sugar - 1 tablespoon
- Duck Livers
- Duck Livers - 8
- Unsalted Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Port Wine - 1 tablespoon
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons
- Shiitake Mushrooms - 1 , roughly chopped
- Freshly ground white pepper
- Sage Leaves - 2, chopped
Instructions
To make the duxelles: Melt half of the butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and saute the shallots until softened, about 1 minute. Add half of the mushrooms. Stirring gently, brown the mushrooms on both sides. Remove from the pan and set aside; add the remaining butter and mushrooms and brown. Return the first mushrooms to the pan and stir in the wine and herbs. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 20 - 25 minutes, until nearly all moisture has evaporated. Remove and let cool slightly. Puree in a food processor, adding the cream, a little at a time, until a smooth paste forms.
Mushroom Packets
Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cut the parsnips into 2-1/2-inch-by-1/2-inch sticks. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a medium ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat and add the parsnips. Saute until slightly browned. Place in the oven for 7 - 10 minutes, until soft. Leave the oven on.
Place a medium ovenproof saute pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, place the portobellos, caps down, in the pan. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and saute until browned, about 2 minutes. Turn and brown on the other side for 2 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar to the pan and place the pan in the oven. Bake for 5 to 7 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a small bowl, whisk the egg and water to form an egg wash. Fill the mushroom caps with duxelles. Spread the feuille de brique sheets on a work surface. Place a sage leaf in the center of each sheet and put a filled mushroom cap on each. Paint the edges of each sheet with egg wash. Fold the bottom of a sheet up over the filling. Fold the top flap down over the first. Paint the ends of the packet with egg wash, then fold the ends toward the center, forming a packet. Press gently to seal. Repeat with remaining sheets. Place on a baking sheet and bake 5 minutes, until crisp.
To make the sauce: Combine the duck stock, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and water in a medium pan over medium-high heat and cook until reduced by half in volume. Remove from heat.
To prepare the duck livers: In a non-stick pan over medium-high heat, pan-sear the duck livers on all sides. Add 2 tablespoons of butter; be careful, it may flare up. When the butter has foamed and subsided, add port wine. Again, the mixture may flare up. Set aside off the fire.
To prepare the shiitakes: Melt the butter in a medium saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and add the shiitakes. Saute until slightly browned, tossing to turn. Season with pepper and sage; toss again. Remove from heat.
To serve: Place three parsnip sticks in a triangle in the center of each plate to support the mushroom packets. Place a mushroom packet on each parsnip triangle. Place a duck liver at the top and bottom of each plate. Put a spoonful of shiitakes next to the duck liver at the bottom of each plate. Drizzle with sauce.
