- 24 long macaroni noodles
- 1 cup milk (250 ml)
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (15 ml)
- 3 cloves garlic, halved and degermed
- 14 tablespoons butter, softened (200 g)
- 3 ½ ounces shredded Gruyère cheese (100 g)
- 2 ¾ ounces celeriac (celery root) (80 g)
- 2 ¾ ounces cooked ham (80 g)
- 1 ½ ounces truffle, chopped (40 g)
- 5 ¾ ounces truffles, in 1⁄8-inch (3 mm) slices (160 g)
- 1 1/3 fluid ounces Madeira (40 ml)
- 1 1/3 fluid ounces chicken broth (40 ml)
- 4 teaspoons whipping cream (20 ml)
- 5 ¾ ounces raw duck foie gras (160 g)
- 3 1/3 fluid ounces chicken jus (100 ml)
- Kosher salt
- Fine salt
- Freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Step 1: Macaroni Gratin
Boil a pot of water seasoned with the milk, oil, garlic, and kosher salt. Cook the macaroni for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat, and let swell for 2 minutes. Drain and cool.
Arrange the macaroni into tightly packed rows over a baking sheet. Trim the ends to make them the same size.
Grease eight 5-inch (13-cm) parchment paper disks with butter, then place them over eight 5½- to 6-inch (14- to15-cm)-diameter stainless steel baking sheets.
Use a 4¼-inch (11-cm)-diameter cutter to cut out eight macaroni disks. Coat with butter and sprinkle with 2 1/8 ounces (60 g) of shredded Gruyère cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Grease four ring molds 4¼ inches (11 cm) in diameter and 1 3/8 inches (3.5 cm) in height with butter.
Place the molds over four of the macaroni disks. Put the eight disks the refrigerator until the butter hardens.
Cut the celeriac into a 1/16-inch (2-mm) dice. Immerse in boiling salted water for 2 minutes, then drain and shock. Cut the ham into 1/16-inch (2-mm) dice. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter until frothy in a deep skillet. Add the celeriac and ham, followed by the chopped truffle. Mix and season with salt and pepper.
Use another deep skillet* to heat 1 tablespoon of butter until frothy, then add the sliced truffle. Cover with a lid. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes over low heat, stirring from time to time. Add the Madeira. Cook gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broth and cream. Cover with the lid, and cook for 4 minutes.
Strain the sliced truffles over the celeriac. Reduce until the ingredients are coated in the sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside the truffle slices in 3 tablespoons of sauce to keep them from drying out.
Cut the foie gras into a 1/8-inch (3-mm) dice. Incorporate into the celeriac stew, mixing with a spatula to thicken well.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Take the macaroni disks out of the refrigerator.
Fill the ring molds with the stewed celeriac and foie gras.
Drain the truffle slices. Arrange them evenly over the stew.
Turn the remaining four macaroni disks over onto the truffles, with the Gruyère side over the truffles. Remove the baking sheets covering the disks, then gently peel off the paper while holding the macaroni disks with your other hand.
Sprinkle the gratins with the rest of the cheese. Drizzle with a few spoons of truffle sauce, and cover with round metal baking sheets.
If the ring molds are very full and the baking sheets will touch the cheese, lightly grease the baking sheets with butter to avoid any problems.
Bake for 15 minutes.
Step 2: Finishing and Plating
Remove the top baking sheets. Return to the hot oven, and bake just to brown the cheese.
Press lightly to drain the fat. Slide onto a plate.
Heat the chicken jus. Drizzle a line of jus around the gratins.
Remove the ring molds. Serve very hot.
This recipe was originally published in "MY BEST JOËL ROBUCHON" (Éditions Alain Ducasse). See all credits
