Matthew Ryle’s Christmas roast capon with chestnuts, buttery pommes Anna, and twice-baked cheese souffle – recipe | Food

Rooted in French custom, this menu celebrates the magnificence of seasonal cooking. The twice-baked comté soufflé, gentle and delicately tacky, is a timeless favorite that’s easy to arrange but positive to impress. It’s adopted by a roast capon, the festive hen of alternative in France, prized for its tender, scrumptious meat, and paired with chestnuts and pommes Anna. These basic recipes are usually not simply reserved for Christmas tables, however I feel the mix captures the spirit of consolation and indulgence that defines conventional French gastronomy.Chapon rôti, chestnuts, pommes AnnaPrep 5 minCook 4 hr 50 minSet overnightServes 8For the chapon1 capon (3-3½kg), with liver and gizzard, or 1 extra-large chickenSalt and black pepper1 black truffle1 tbsp olive oil1½kg recent chestnuts, or 450g peeled and cooked chestnuts50g butter2 celery sticks1.4 litres hen stock50g chervil, or parsleyFor the pommes Anna300g butter, or 250g clarified butter or ghee, plus further for brushing8 massive floury potatoes, resembling maris piper, Salt and black pepperThe day earlier than, put the butter for the potatoes into a chilly pan and slowly convey to a boil, skimming off the froth that involves the highest and leaving the milk solids to sink to the underside. The clear butter you’re left with is what you need. Switch the clarified butter to a big bowl.Line a flat-sided nonstick pan or oven dish with greaseproof paper and warmth the oven to 180C (160C fan)/350F/fuel 4. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes to about 1mm thick, ideally on a mandoline, including the sliced potatoes to the butter bowl as you go. Season generously and blend to coat; the butter would possibly begin to set, so preserve the bowl someplace warm-ish; as long as every slice is coated with butter, exhausting or gentle, you’ll be OK.Begin layering the potatoes within the lined pan till it’s crammed to the highest, then cowl with extra paper and put a heavy pan on prime to crush the potatoes. Bake for an hour and a half, then test – if a knife goes by way of the potatoes with out resistance, they’re prepared. Take away, go away to chill, then put within the fridge in a single day to set.The subsequent day, warmth the oven to 160C (140C fan)/325F/fuel 3. Take away the liver and gizzard from the capon, rinse the cavity and pat dry. Generously season the within of the hen, then put the truffle within the cavity, together with the liver and gizzard. Truss the hen securely, then rub the pores and skin throughout with oil and season once more.Put the capon breast-side up in a roasting pan and roast for about two and a half hours, basting a number of occasions.In the meantime, use a small, sharp knife to slit open the rounded facet of every chestnut shell. Drop them into a big pan of boiling salted water, prepare dinner for a couple of minutes, then drain and peel whereas they’re nonetheless heat; be sure to take away each the outer shell and skinny interior pores and skin.Soften the butter in a big skillet, add the peeled chestnuts, and stir gently with a picket spoon to coat. Add the celery ribs, then pour within the inventory, cowl the pan and go away to simmer gently, with out stirring, for 20 minutes. Drain, then take away and discardthe celery.In the meantime, end the pommes Anna. End up the potatoes on to a baking tray and prepare dinner in a 220C (200C fan)/425F/fuel 7 oven for 20–half-hour, till golden and evenly crisp throughout, brushing with extra melted clarified butter to assist issues alongside.5 minutes earlier than the capon is prepared, add the chestnuts to the roasting pan to allow them to soak up a few of the cooking juices. When the capon is cooked, take the pan out of the oven and switch the hen to a heat platter. Prepare the chestnuts on a separate dish, and sprinkle them with the chopped chervil. Take away the truffle, liver and gizzards from the cavity of the hen., slice the truffle thinly and cube the liver and gizzards, then scatter all of them over the chestnuts.Switch the pommes Anna to a platter, sprinkle with salt, then lower into wedges and serve. Carve the capon on a board, then organize the slices neatly on the platter. Deglaze the roasting pan with 60ml water or inventory, scraping up any browned bits, then simmer briefly. Pour the ensuing sauce right into a sauceboat and serve alongside the capon with the pommes Anna.Twice-baked soufflé au vieux comté, salade verteMatthew Ryle’s twice-baked comte soufflé, with a inexperienced salad.Not important, however I feel this soufflé is finest when paired with a crisp inexperienced salad.Prep 15 minCook 1 hr 10 minServes 4For the cheese base20g butter20g plain flour100g milkNutmeg, grated100g comté, gratedSalt and black pepper3 egg yolks40g double cream15g dijon mustardFor the leek sauce50g butter1 leek, washed and finely sliced1 garlic clove, peeled and finely grated200g double cream80g camembertFor the soufflésSoftened butter200g egg whiteLemon juice210g cheese base (see above)For the inexperienced salad30g dijon mustard30ml white-wine vinegar½ small garlic clove, grated on a Microplane180ml rapeseed oilJuice of ¼ lemonLettuce leaves of your alternative, washed, dried and left whole10g diced shallot5g chopped chivesMelt the butter for the cheese base in a saucepan on a medium warmth, then add the flour and prepare dinner for a couple of minutes. Whisk within the milk in phases, then convey to a boil, nonetheless whisking. Flip down the warmth and simmer for 2 minutes.Grate in some nutmeg, then combine within the cheese and season. Switch to a blender, and add the egg yolks one after the other, mixing till easy after every addition. Add the cream and mustard, and mix briefly to mix. (In case you are making a much bigger batch, weigh the sauce into 210g baggage, so that they’re able to go for a four-portion soufflé. Drop the bag into scorching water to heat up when required.)The tacky leek sauce may be made forward of time, too. Soften the butter for the leek sauce in a saucepan on a low-medium warmth, then saute the leek and garlic till fully gentle however with out color. Add the cream and cheese, season, then go away to bubble for a few minutes.Rub 4 ramekins generously with softened butter and warmth the oven to 170C (150C fan)/300F/fuel 3½. Utilizing an electrical whisk or stand mixer, beat the egg whites and some drops of lemon juice to stiff peaks. Add a 3rd of the egg whites to the nice and cozy cheese base, beating to lighten the combination, then gently fold within the remaining egg whites.Spoon the soufflé combine into the buttered moulds and faucet on a piece floor to flatten the tops. Put in a bain-marie and bake for 12-16 minutes; in case you are utilizing bigger moulds, it could take as much as 20 minutes. As soon as cooked, the tops will probably be golden brown and the soufflés will visibly come away from the edges of the moulds with minimal wobble. Take away the soufflés, then flip up the oven to 240C (220C fan)/475F/fuel 9.Make the dressing: whisk the mustard, vinegar and garlic in a bowl, then slowly beat within the oil. Season and add the lemon juice. Costume the leaves with loads of dressing, add the diced shallots and toss along with your fingers till each leaf is evenly coated. Put in a big bowl and sprinkle with the chives.End up the cooked soufflés on to trays. They’ll now sit fortunately at room temperature, able to be completed whenever you’re able to eat. Pour the tacky leek sauce over the soufflés and return to the oven for 5 minutes, till gratinated throughout.