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Add a photoCarrot heart garnished, light and airy baked mousse f bulb fennel, servedon olive oil sautèed broccoli rabe and topped with Salmon roe.
Ingredients
- For the Sformato
- 1 fennel bulb
- 1 egg
- a glass of milk
- a knob of butter
- 30g/ 2 tablespoons Parmigiano-Reggiano
- bechamel made with 250ml/1 cup milk, 25 g butter, 25 g flour
- salt and pepper
- For the garnish
- A small jar of salmon or other fish roe
- A puree of blanched winter greens and olive oil
- Raw carrots cut into coins first, then with heart or flower cutter if you wish
Directions
- To make the "besciamella"
- - Place the flour and the butter in a pan over moderately low heat.
- - Place the milk in a separate to warm up and bring it to a boil.
- - Whisk the flour and butter together till they are well combined and have formed a "roux".
- - Cook gently for a few minutes to lose the raw flour flavour.
- - As soon as it has come to the boil, take both the milk pan and the pan with the roux off the heat, and without delay pour the hot milk in one go onto the roux. Whisk fast and continuously until you have a shiny, thick and lump-free bechamel.
- To make the Sformato
- - Remove the tough outermost leaf of the fennel bulb. Cut the top off reserving a couple of fennel fronds for garnish. Roughly cut up the fennel eliminating the hard core.
- - Soften the fennel pieces in the knob of butter in a pan which has a close fitting lid - which you will shortly need - for about 10 minutes
- - Add the glass of milk, season with salt and pepper, cover and leave to simmer 30 minute or till very soft.
- - While it is cooking, grate the Reggiano cheese and prepare the moulds for cooking the Sformato. Butter your chosen containers well and to ensure the Sformato turns out easily, place a circle of foil on the bottom, flatten it well, and butter that too.
- - At the end of 30 minutes take the lid off the fennel pan and on cook further on low heat until there is no milk left in the pan.
- - Whiz the softened fennel with a stick blender or in a food processor and then patiently push through a very fine sieve to eliminate stringy bits and for a smooth velvety texture.
- If you prefer your Sformato to be a little chunky, simply mash the softened fennel pieces with a fork and leave it at that.
- You can make the bechamel and the purees for the Sformato and the garnish ahead of time, leaving just assembling, baking and preparing the carrot garnish as last minute steps.
- - Whisk the egg first, then whisk into the just warm bechamel - you will need to reheat it gently - until it has been completely absorbed. Then stir in the fennel puree and when that is well mixed in, stir in the finely grated cheese.
- - Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed, then fill up the two moulds with the mixture. It will expand a little during cooking so do not fill all the way to the top.
- - Place in a water bath and cook for about 30 minutes at 180° C /
- - Test for done-ness using a tooth pick or fine wooden skewer - you want it to come out a little flecked, so it is not too dry - over cooked egg mixtures can easily become tough and leathery.
- - As soon as it is delicately firm and your skewer comes out flecked, take the water bath out of the oven and the moulds out of the water, to stop further cooking.
- To assemble and plate
- - Warm up the green vegetable puree and have your prepared carrot garnish to hand.
- - Run a thin bladed knife around the edge of the Sformati then turn out each on a separate plate. Carefully remove the foil from what is now the top. Spread the green puree round each Sformato, decorate the top with a a fennel frond and sprinkle carrot coins as you prefer.
- The Sformato can be eaten at room temperature though I prefer it warm. It can be a starter or a light main course depending on what else is on the menu. Without the salmon roe, it makes a great side dish for meat, fish or chicken.
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Nutrition Facts
| Amount Per Recipe | %DV |
|---|---|
| Recipe Size 464g | |
| Calories 549 | |
| Calories from Fat 283 | 52% |
| Total Fat 31.41g | 39% |
| Saturated Fat 7.43g | 30% |
| Trans Fat 0.0g | |
| Cholesterol 295mg | 98% |
| Sodium 303mg | 13% |
| Potassium 1649mg | 47% |
| Total Carbs 17.82g | 5% |
| Dietary Fiber 6.7g | 22% |
| Sugars 2.91g | 2% |
| Protein 48.56g | 78% |
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