A chilled jellied duck and beetroot consommé, finished with soured cream, salmon caviar and fresh chervil.
Yield: 4 portions
Skin and bone the duck leg and very finely chop the meat. Finely dice the celery, onion, leek and tomato. Combine these with the chopped meat and thyme in a saucepan. Peel the beetroot, cut a quarter of it into strips about 2.5cm/1 inch long and 3mm/⅛ inch wide. Finely dice the remaining beetroot and add it to the meat and vegetables. Add the egg whites and mix together well. Stir in the cold stock, check the mixture for seasoning and add salt and pepper as required.
Place over a high heat, stirring continuously until it almost comes to the boil. Just as it comes to the boil, reduce the heat so that it just simmers. Continue simmering for 30 minutes. Strain the finished consommé through muslin. If there is a thin film of fat on top, remove it by pulling a sheet of kitchen paper over the surface.
Boil the beetroot batons in a little of the consommé. When cooked, remove them and drain. Return the consommé to the rest and leave to go cold. Once cold, chill in the refrigerator for about 6 hours, after which time it should have lightly set.
Spoon the jellied consommé into serving cups and place a teaspoon of soured cream in the centre. Top with a spoonful of salmon caviar. Sprinkle a few beetroot batons over this, then scatter the chervil leaves over the top.