Charcuterie_ The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing - Michael Ruhlman [126]
8 pounds/3.75 kilograms veal bones, cut into 3-inch/7.5-centimeter lengths (have the butcher do this)
1 cup/140 grams finely diced onions
1⁄2 cup/70 grams finely diced celery
1⁄2 cup/70 grams finely diced leek—white part only
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons/5 grams black peppercons
1 bunch fresh thyme
About 6 quarts/6 liters cold water
1. Place the bones in a pot that is taller than it is wide, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Drain the bones and rinse under cold water. (This process cleans the bones and removes impurities that you don’t want in your finished stock.)
2. Place the bones back in the pot and add the remaining ingredients except the cold water. Add enough water to cover the ingredients by about 1 inch/2.5 centimeters. Bring to a boil, skimming the stock frequently, then reduce the heat to the lowest possible. Skim the stock, and simmer for 6 to 8 hours, or overnight, skimming occasionally.
3. Strain the stock through a fine-mesh sieve. Let cool, then refrigerate or freeze.
Yield: 1 gallon/4 liters
SMOKED TROUT RILLETTES
Rillettes are most commonly made from pork and pork fat, but they are also an excellent way to use smoked trout, or any smoked fish, as well as poached (nonsmoked) salmon. Rillettes made with fish use butter in place of the pork fat used when making pork rillettes (see page 266 for more on rillettes). The technique allows you to season and enhance the fish while putting it into a form that’s easy to eat.
The acidity of the wine here sharpens the flavors, and lemon zest, as always, brightens them. As with most rillettes, this is best spread on toasted or crusty bread, as an hors d’oeuvre, but it also makes a good first course or, served with bread, salad, and a crisp cold white wine, a great lunch. Because rillettes travel well, they’re the perfect food for picnics, tailgate parties, and other events requiring portable food.
4 ounces (1 stick)/110 grams unsalted butter
2 tablespoons/15 grams minced onion
8 ounces/225 grams boneless, skinless smoked trout fillets (see Note below), shredded
1⁄4 cup/60 milliliters dry white wine
1⁄2 teaspoon/2 grams finely minced lemon zest
1 teaspoon/7 grams kosher salt
Ground white pepper to taste
2 tablespoons/16 grams finely sliced fresh chives
1. Melt the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, without browning it. Add the trout, wine, lemon zest, salt, and white pepper and cook, stirring, until well blended and most of the wine has evaporated, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature (the butter should have solidified but still be soft).
2. Transfer the mixture to a bowl, add the chives, and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture becomes a smooth paste. Adjust the seasonings if necessary, and place in crocks or ramekins. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or for up to 10 days.
Yield: 8 portions
[ NOTE: Smoked trout is available at many specialty stores. If you wish to smoke your own, brine boneless fish in the All-Purpose Brine (page 60; half the recipe will be sufficient for the amount of fish here, but add 1⁄2 teaspoon/3 grams of pink salt to the brine). Brine the fish for 4 hours, then rinse, dry, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours, uncovered. Hot-smoke (see page 77) to a temperature of 140 degrees F./60 degrees C., then immediately refrigerate the fish till it’s thoroughly chilled. ]
MEDITERRANEAN OLIVE AND VEGETABLE “RILLETTES”
Vegetarian rillettes are not, of course, traditional rillettes, which are made of meat and fat, but they are a rich, satisfying dish that, spread on crostini, could be served as a first course. Or serve as an hors d’oeuvre out of a ramekin, as you would tapenade, which is what this