Duck Liver Parfait with Figs - 'Fake Cassata' by Joseph Vargetto
Joseph Vargetto of Mister Bianco in Melbourne shares his 'fake cassata' creation riffing on the theme of the iconic Sicilian dessert. "It looks exactly like cassata, but it's not," he says in new cookbook Siciliano.
Orange juice: 50ml
Campari: 80ml
Butter: 250ml
Fat cream: 125ml (warmed)
Shallots: 4 (finely chopped)
Garlic: 1 (finely chopped)
Thyme: 1 tsp
Duck livers: 500g
Eggs: 2
Butter: 300g (White Italian butter, softened)
Apricots: 100g (soaked)
Raisins: 100g (soaked)
Pistachios: 50g
Salt: To taste
Black pepper: To taste
Figs: 8-10 fresh medium sized figs, sliced.
Preheat oven to 120 degrees celsius.
Heat 20g of the melted butter in a small frying pan over a low heat.
Cook the shallots, garlic and herbs until the shallots are soft but not brown. Add the orange juice.
Place the mixture with the duck livers, eggs, cream and Campari in a food processor.
With the motor running, gradually pour in the remaining butter.
Season to taste.
Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl and discard the solids.
Fold in the soaked fruits and pistachios.
Line a terrine mould with cling film.
Pour in the pate mixture and cover tightly with a lid or aluminium foil.
Place the terrine mould in a baking dish and fill the dish with boiling water so that water comes halfway up the sides of the terrine.
Cook in the pre-heated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pate wobbles slightly.
Remove the terrine from the baking dish and leave to cool for 15 minutes.
Chill in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours.
Once cold, smear the softened white butter all over the sides of the terrine to create a butter wall.
To serve, slice parfait onto a plate with figs.