WILD TROUT ROE IN A WARM CRUST OF DRIED PIGS’ BLOOD

Yield: serves 6

Ingredients

CROUSTADES

100g unbleached, wholemeal (whole wheat) flour

1 pinch salt

100g double (heavy) cream

50g pig’s blood, plus 100g for dipping

1 egg yolk

10g melted butter

fresh, unsalted trout roe, taken out of the fridge about 2 hours before serving

neutral oil, for deep-frying

salt

CUSTARD

100g pigs’ blood

100g whole eggs

25g butter

Directions

1.   Mix together the flour, salt, double cream, 50g pigs’ blood, egg yolk and melted butter to make a batter and leave it to rest in the fridge overnight. If you rush this you will get bubbles in your croustades.

2.  Heat the oil with the croustade iron in the casserole. When it is nice and hot, take the iron out and dip it quickly into the batter, then put the whole thing quickly but carefully back into the oil and cook until crisp.

3.  Loosen the little croustades from the iron and place on a paper towel.

4. When all the croustades are cooked, dip them one by one into the blood and place them upside down on a rack so the excess blood runs off. Turn them right way up again and place on a baking tray. Cook at 150˚C (300˚F) until the blood is dry and completely coagulated. Repeat until the desired thickness is achieved ­– it depends on the thickness of the blood, but 3 times is usually enough.

5. To make the custard, place all the ingredients in a Thermomix and process at 80˚C (175˚F) until thick and silky smooth. Place in a piping (pastry) bag and keep it at room temperature until later.

6. When the croustades are ready, halfway-fill them with custard and warm them through in the oven at 150˚C (300˚F). When warm, spoon a nice mound of roe into each croustade and place them on preheated stones or plates. Finish with a tiny pinch of salt on top of each one.