Recipes from Les Toques Blanches Ottawa

Pancetta Wrapped Loin of Rabbit
with vanilla sweet potato tart and huckleberry gastrique

Executive Chef Michael Blackie, Brookstreet Hotel

Serves 4

Step one: Sweet dough tart

Note this recipe is sufficient for 8 tart shells, you will only require 4 pieces for the final.

1½ cups pastry flour
¼ cup white sugar
2/3 cup butter, cold
1 large egg, beaten

• Preheat the oven to 400ºF (205ºC).
• In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Using a mixer on lowest setting process the cut butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse cornmeal. Now add the egg, continue to mix until dough comes together nicely. Form pastry into a ball and chill for 20 minutes at a minimum.
• Roll pastry out on a lightly floured work surface and form into a square shape approx 45 cm, thickness should be no more than 2-3 mm. Now divide into four equal squares. Using provided round moulds (should be pre greased) form each sheet inside, trim off any excess dough with a knife. You should be left with a clean cylindrical form.
• Bake pastry for 10 to 12 minutes. (You can help prevent the pastry from becoming too puffy and bubbling by cutting out a circle of parchment or waxed paper and placing it on the tart pastry, then filling it with pastry weights or beans. This procedure is called blind-baking)
• Makes enough pastry for 8 individual tart shells

Step two: Sweet potato puree

1 large sweet potato
150 ml half and half cream
2 large eggs
2 drops vanilla paste
4 Basic Tart Pastry – Sweet (see above)
salt and pepper (to taste) optional, pinch of nutmeg

• In a 375 degree oven bake sweet potato for aprox 50 to 60 minutes until they slide off a knife when pierced. Using a food processor blend the peeled sweet potato to a smooth puree. Transfer to a stainless steel bowl adjust seasoning and add a touch of table cream to the puree, reserve for later.
• Allow to cool. Combine all other ingredients and mix well with a whisk. Pack pie shells full with sweet potato and fill shell with the custard mixture. Bake at 350ºF for @ 15 – 20 minutes.

Step three: Rabbit loin

4x100 grms loin of rabbit
8 pc pancetta sliced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sweet butter

• Season rabbit loin with pepper only. (Pancetta will season the loin enough). Lay sliced pancetta on a piece of cling film overlapping the two pieces. Place the loin in the middle of the pancetta. Fold in each side and roll up. Tie each end and place in chiller to hold its shape. (min. 20 minutes) In a pan heat a small amount of oil and fry loin on all sides until golden brown. Add butter to pan and place into an oven at 350ºF for 10 to 15 minutes. Take out allow to rest for 3 minutes. Cut and plate.

Step four: Huckleberry gastrique

2 tbsp red huckleberry preserve
20 ml white wine vinegar
½ tsp orange zest
15 grams white sugar
20 grams shallot finely chopped
1 tbsp butter, no salt
150 ml chicken stock

• In a sauce pan melt butter and fry shallots and orange zest over medium heat until translucent with no color. Add sugar and caramelize before adding the white wine vinegar. Reduce by half and finish by adding the chicken stock Leave to simmer until it reduces again by a quarter. Finish the sauce by adding a teaspoon of butter before serving.

Restaurant Assembly

Place tart in the center of the plate. Cut loin into three pieces and place them around the tart as to expose the inner color. Garnish the plate with some green herb and drizzle sauce around.