Tomalley and Duck Liver Pâté

Makes 10 serves

Ingredients

For tomalley and duck liver pâté

150g (approx) melted unsalted butter
165g peeled weight red onion, finely chopped
70g unsalted butter
1g black pepper
2g fine sea salt
90g tomalley
250g duck liver, cleaned weight
85g pure cream
75g egg yolk
1/2 a small nutmeg, grated finely

For the beetroot jelly

265g beetroot juice - see tip
7g sugar
14g balsamic
6g leaf gelatine

Roasted beetroot cubes

350g 1cm beetroot cubes, peeled weight
Splash EV olive oil
2g coarse freshly ground black pepper
2g Maldon sea salt

Other ingredients

30g bag cooked, chilled lobster leg and knuckle meat
Pomegranate seeds
Dill or chervil sprigs or both
1 peeled red fleshed fig like a Spanish dessert variety (per serve)
Balsamic, not super aged but best quality

Method

For the tomalley and duck liver pâté

Generously butter 10 small smooth-sided moulds. Sauté the onion in the butter with the salt and pepper until it is caramelized; spread it on a tray and allow it to cool completely before proceeding. Puree all other ingredients in a blender and pass through a hair sieve - see note. Divide between the moulds and cover each portion with heat proof plastic food wrap.

Steam for approximately 10 minutes until the centres are barely set. Turn off the heat source and allow them to cool in the steamer. Date and refrigerate.

For the beetroot jelly

Bring half of the beetroot juice to the boil, add the pepper, sea salt and balsamic and taste, remembering that you still have to add beetroot juice to adjust as beetroots vary enormously. Soften the gelatine in cold water and add to the hot beetroot juice. When it is completely incorporated, mix in the remaining beetroot juice.

Pour into a plastic container keeping it about 1cm deep. Cover and refrigerate. Before service cut it into ribbons and 1cm cubes.

Roasted beetroot cubes

Pre heat oven to 200ºC. Roll the beetroot through EV olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover a tray with a silicon sheet and spread the beetroot over the tray. Cook for 5-10 minutes just until it has lost its rawness but is not soft.

Other ingredients and serving

Un-mould the pâté into the centre of a plate and put the cooked rocklobster on top. Slice the peeled fig and place it on top. Garnish the plate with beetroot ribbons and cubes, roasted beetroot cubes and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle EV olive oil and a few drops of balsamic and scatter the herbs on top and serve.

Note - Passing the pâté through a hair sieve delivers a pâté with a very fine silken texture. Passing it through a fine sieve delivers a slightly less smooth texture.

Tip - We have been using a fruit and vegetable juicer for jellies for years and in an effort to make stunning food whilst keeping the food cost Nazis off of our ‘you know what' we have learned to turn the waste in great dishes. The beetroot goes into chicken or fish stock makes the most incredible borscht consommé and we make eel piroschki, serve it with sour cream chopped onion and caviar. We add tomato waste to stocks, and cucumber waste makes a great chilled cucumber soup.

Australia does not have fresh foie gras (animal rights), however a thick slice of foie gras treated in exactly the same way, minus to tomalley duck liver pâté, is absolutely stunning.

Copyright © Text and images Australian Southern Rocklobster Limited and Ann Oliver 2008