Foie Gras Cigar

Method

Note: You will need 4 glass test tubes, a Paco-Jet and gold leaf for this recipe.

1. Spray tubes with canola spray
2. Cut pastry into sections 2cm shorter than tubes. Roll pastry around middle of each tube one and a half times, brushing with egg white to seal at each end
3. Cook test tube in deep fryer at 180°C until pastry is golden brown. Remove pastry from tubes immediately once cooked, then chill pastry tube
4. Pipe foie gras mousse into each pastry tube and chill again
5. Brush outside of each tube with balsamic reduction, roll in puff pastry crumb, ensuring both ends are covered with crumb.
6. Roll tube on a flat surface to smooth out exterior of tube.

1. In saucepan, cover apricots with sugar syrup. Simmer gently until apricots are soft
2. Once apricots are soft, puree them then strain through chinois, reserving fruit.
3. Weigh the puree mix. For every 1kg of puree, mix in 9g agar. Set on gel tray.
4. Blend gel in mixer to break down gel particles
5. Store in piping bag ready for use

1. In a heavy-based saucepan, reduce vinegar by half
2. Mix maple syrup into balsamic reduction

1. Make puff pastry (see recipe)
2. Mix 4 tablespoons cocoa powder to each teaspoon icing sugar
3. After making puff pastry to recipe, ensuring it is thinly rolled, cook pastry in 180˚C for 10-15min until very golden brown. Leave to cool.
4. Pulse pastry in Thermomix for 2 seconds at a time. Season with cocoa powder mixture

1. Make mousse by combining 150g foie gras terrine (see recipe) and 15g butter, and season.
2. Paco Jet twice, whip with plastic spatula and transfer mixture to piping bag

1. Combine carbon & icing sugar.

1. Cut rice paper sheet 1cm wider than gold leaf sheet.
2. Place rice paper rough-side down on top of gold leaf and rub to transfer old leaf onto rice paper
3. Cut papers into bands 7mm wide and 10cm long

1. Wrap foil band around cigar, wetting one end of rice paper to make it stick.
2. Dip opposite end of cigar into ash 1cm deep
3. Pipe apricot gel onto base of ashtray in the middle and on spot where cigar will rest. Place cigar in ashtray, using apricot gel to stick it down.
4. Add a pinch of tea ash at the bottom of the cigar, and the smoking young coconut.