Elk Blanquette With Roasted Autumn Mushrooms
Chef John McGannon puts together a pot pie with wild mushrooms for a mixture of hunted and gathered foods baked into a flaky crust.
1⁄2 gallon or 6-8 servings
Ingredients
-
Meat
– 2½-3 lbs cubed elk shoulder, bottom or eye round, with silver skin/tendons removed
salt and pepper to taste
– 3 tbsp WildEats Lemon Garlic & Sage Rub (optional)
– 1 cup flour for dusting
– 3 tbsp bacon fat or cooking oil -
Stock
– 1 cup high-quality white wine
– 1 qt beef stock or broth
– 3 cups diced celery
– 3 cups diced leeks (or onions)
– 2 tbsp fresh garlic
– 2 bay leaves -
Mushrooms
– 2 lbs roasted crimini, shiitake, morel, chanterelle, portabella, or porcini mushrooms, tossed with salt, pepper, garlic, and olive oil, and roast at 325°F for 20-30 minutes -
Additional Ingredients
– zest of a lemon
– 1⁄2 cup quality bourbon
– 1 cup sour cream
– seasonal vegetables, garden herbs
– puff pastry
– egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed well with 2 oz. water, and a pinch of salt and sugar
Instructions
- Lightly dust the elk cubes with the lemon garlic and sage rub, salt, pepper, and flour. Heat the bacon fat or oil in a sauté pan. In small batches, quickly sear the meat until blond. Try not to brown the meat as this will affect the color of the final product. You are shooting for a white sauce.
- When the meat is seared, move it to a crockpot or heavy-gauge saucepot. Deglaze the sauté pan with the wine, and simmer until reduced to just about dry. Scrape the residue from the pan into the crockpot with the meat. Add the stock, celery, leeks, and garlic. Bring this to a simmer and slowly cook until the meat is almost tender (2 hours in a pot or for as much as 5-6 hours in a slow crockpot).
- On the side, toss the mushrooms with salt, pepper, and garlic and lay them on a sheet pan. Place them into an oven at 325° F for 20-30 minutes. This evaporates the moisture of the mushrooms and intensifies their flavor. Set aside until the meat is almost done.
- When the meat is almost tender, add the roasted mushrooms, sour cream, bourbon, and lemon zest. Stir well and bring back to a simmer. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Each of these last ingredients gives a specific property to the final flavor.
- At this point, you can eat this Blanquette as is or cool it and place it into ramekins. Garnished with your favorite seasonal vegetables and herbs. Cut the puff pastry into circles large enough to cover the ramekins. Brush the egg wash around the edge and place the puff pastry over the top. Press the pastry around the edge of the ramekins. Eggwash the top of the pastry. Place the ramekins on a sheet pan and into a 365°F oven. Bake until golden brown, 30-45 minutes. Remove, serve, and enjoy.
