Traditional French Feast

Our instructor Jean-Paul Weber Veal, Chicken, and Pork Strudel 
With A Currant-Mustard Sauce 
Traditional French Feast

My friend Karen and I joined several other women in a cooking class titled "Traditional French Feast". It was instructed by an Alsatian. He was very knowledgeable and what I especially enjoyed, he projected with the attitude there are other substitutions. His recipes were not rigid. Also we did not need to purchase equipment to achieve a pleasing result. Quality ingredients were stressed which I subscribe. I will publish one of the four class recipes for my next four postings.

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We thought the recipes and the tastings were wonderful and wished our husbands could have been present knowing they too would have agreed.

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Ingredients:

1 pound ground pork shoulder

1/4 pound lean veal cut in very small cubes

1/4 pound chicken breast

3 slices day old bread, cubed

1/2 cup cream

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced

1 cup yellow onion, finely chopped

2 large eggs

2 garlic cloves, minced

Pinch powdered clove

1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon thyme

Salt, ground pepper

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

4 oz. dry white (sauvignon blanc)

1 package frozen puff pastry, defrosted

1 egg + 1 tablespoon water for egg wash

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Currant Mustard Sauce

1 cup currant jelly (Smuckers was used)

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

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Directions:

Soak bread in cream in a small bowl. Squeeze out excess liquid and reserve bread.

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Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and melt butter; add shallots, onions, and garlic. Saute over medium heat until tender, about 3 minutes. Let cool and blend with meats in a large bowl. Add bread, eggs, clove, nutmeg, thyme, salt, pepper, parsley, and white wine. Mix well with your hands.

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Refrigerate overnight, covered with plastic wrap.

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Unfold puff pastry sheets on flat work surface dusted with a little flour.

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Form meat mixture into a 2 inch thick loaf shape and place on pastry, about 1 inch from border of pastry . Place at about the 3/4 area of the pastry. (You will pull the other half of the pastry up over the meat to seal the loaf.) With a pastry brush, paint the edges of the pastry. Bring the pastry up over the meat. With a fork, seal the edges of the pastry. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat. Paint exterior of pastry with egg wash and make decorative marks using the tines of a fork. Chill 20 minutes in refrigerator.

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Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let rest 15 minutes before slicing.

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Sauce Directions:

Dilute mustard with orange and lemon juices; mix in ginger and cayenne pepper. In a small saucepan over low heat, liquefy currant jelly, stirring often. When jelly is completely liquefied, add mustard mixture, stirring well to blend. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature. Serve with Veal, Chicken and Pork Strudel.