Roasted Manjimup Marron, Vichyssoise Quail Egg & Garlic Croutons

Ingredients

Serves 2

MARRON

2 marron

MARRON BISQUE GLAZE

1kg marron head shells
60ml cooking oil
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
1/2 leek, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic, roughly crushed
100g unsalted butter, roughly diced
2 tbsp fresh tomato paste
100ml white wine
30ml cognac
2 sprigs thyme
4 stalks basil, crushed
100ml cream

VICHYSSOISE

2 leeks, chopped
1 onion, chopped
20gm unsalted butter
3 thinly sliced potatoes
200ml vegetable stock
5g ground white pepper
2 cloves garlic
100ml cream
3 sprigs thyme

2 quail eggs
1 slice bread
1 garlic clove, chopped
10 peas

Method

VICHYSSOISE

Gently sweat the chopped leeks, chopped onion, garlic and thyme in butter until soft. Do not let them brown. Add potatoes and stock to the saucepan. Bring to the boil and simmer very gently for 30 minutes. Puree in a blender or food processor until very smooth. Cool. Stir in the cream and butter and season. Set aside in fridge. Serve at room temperature for this dish (usually served chilled).

MARRON

Take a sharp knife and cut through the marron head. Steam for 4 minutes, then remove head and marron tail meat (if possible take out the claw; if not just add it to the bisque). Set marron meat aside and make bisque from the shells.

MARRON BISQUE GLAZE

Remove the innards from the heads. Crush the heads and shells with a heavy mallet. Heat a deep roasting tray over a medium-high heat. Add the diced vegetables to the tray and mix in well. Scatter on the butter and heat to a very light brown foam. Continue to cook until the shells are deep red. Add the tomato paste and cook for another few minutes. Remove around one-third of the shells from the pan and set aside. Add the white wine to the pan and deglaze. Add the cognac and thyme then add enough water to just cover the shells. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Pour through a fine sieve. Reduce bisque until thick, add cream and reduce again. Finish with butter.

QUAIL EGGS

Place quail eggs in boiling water for 2 minutes and quickly transfer to an ice water bath to stop any further cooking.

GARLIC CROUTONS

Cut bread into tiny cubes. Heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic; add bread cubes until golden brown. Transfer to a paper napkin to extract any oil.

TO SERVE

Cut marron in half lengthways, place claws on a tray and heat in oven until completely cooked. Pour vichyssoise into the centre of the plate, then place marron and claw over it. Scatter croutons and peas around the plate and drizzle bisque glaze around.


Photograph by Adolfo Chavez.