Brasserie Blanc

Deep Fried Goat’s Cheese Parcel with Chilli Tomato Chutney

Ingredients
200ml Balsamic vinegar
100g French beans, trimmed
Small head curly endive, rinsed, drained and torn into fronds
1 tbs rosemary oil (alternatively you can use a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil with a few sprigs of finely minced rosemary added)
For the Tapenade:
1 large clove garlic, crushed
3 tbsp capers, chopped
6 anchovy fillets, chopped
250g black olives, pitted
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
For the Dijon Mustard Dressing:
1 large free-range egg yolk
3 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tbsp white wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp ground white pepper
175ml rapeseed oil
25ml warm water
For the Goat’s Cheese Parcel:
4 sheets spring-roll pastry
2 x 125g goat’s cheese logs
1 free-range egg, well beaten
500ml sunflower oil
For the Chilli Tomato Chutney:
5 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2cm ginger, peeled and minced
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp caster sugar
160g plum tomatoes, roughly chopped
5 tbsp tomato puree
Pinch of cayenne
1 tsp dry-roasted coriander seeds, crushed
1 tsp dry-roasted, caraway seeds, crushed
1 tsp dry-roasted fennel seeds, crushed

Deep Fried Goat’s Cheese Parcel with Chilli Tomato Chutney

Serves 4

“This is a signature dish at Brasserie Blanc. The cold crunch of the chutney and warm, rich goat’s cheese alongside
the sweet-sour of the balsamic glaze is a winning combination.” Raymond Blanc

Method
  1. Gently simmer 200ml of balsamic vinegar until it has reduced by three quarters and has a thick, syrupy consistency. Set aside.
  2. To make the tomato chutney, gently sweat the onions, garlic, chillies and ginger in olive oil until softened but not coloured. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and simmer gently for about an hour, or until the mixture is thickened and jammy, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.
  3. To make the tapenade, place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and puree until very smooth.Transfer to a bowl, cover and chill until required.
  4. To make the mustard dressing, place the egg yolk, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a blender. With the motor running, and the central plug removed from the lid, slowly add the rapeseed oil followed by the water. This makes more than you need for this recipe but it will store well in the fridge for a few days.
  5. To prepare the French beans, bring a small pan of salted water to the boil. Add the beans and cook for 4 minutes. Refresh in iced water, drain and set aside.
  6. Divide each log of goat’s cheese in half. With slightly damp hands, mould each piece into a flat disc about 1cm thick. Set aside. Take a square of pastry, brush very lightly with beaten egg, then place a teaspoon of tapenade slightly offset the centre of the sheet and top with a disc of goat’s cheese. Fold the pastry over the goat’s cheese corner to corner, creating a triangle. With the long edge towards you, brush the pastry triangle with more egg wash. Fold the left hand corner over to the right, egg wash, then fold the right hand corner over to the left, tucking any edge under. Egg wash the pastry one last time and fold the cheese enclosed pastry over and over, so you are left with a neat square parcel. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan until it reaches 350°F or when a cube of bread dropped into the oil becomes golden brown in a minute. Deep fry the parcels two at a time until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.
  7. Season the French beans and curly endive with a little of the mustard dressing, arrange in the middle of each plate and place a goat’s cheese parcel on top. Spoon some of the tomato chutney beside the parcel and drizzle the plate with the rosemary oil and balsamic reduction.
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