How to Cook Well at Christmas with Rory O'Connell airs on RTÉ One at 7:30pm on Sunday, 22 December, and 7pm Monday, 23 December.
Ingredients
This is a lovely savoury pastry confection that is best accompanied by a salad of leaves or exotic mushrooms. The pastry and filling can be prepared ahead of time and assembled closer to the time of eating though the finished dish will sit quite happily for up to 3 hours before serving.
Serves 6-8
- 350 - 400g puff pastry
- 75g butter
- 225g cheddar cheese grated
- 50g goats cheese
- 2 tablespoons cream
- 2 tablespoons milk
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
To serve
- 50g finely grated Coolea cheese
- Cranberry sauce – see recipe
- Rosemary sprigs
Cranberry Sauce
This sauce will keep for 2 months in the fridge. I like to serve the sauce warm.
Serves 12
- 170g cranberries
- 4 tablespoons water
- 75g caster sugar
- A few drops of lemon juice, optional
Method
- Preheat oven to 230c.
- Roll the pastry into a rectangle 38cm x 25cm. Place on a dry baking sheet and prick the surface of the pastry all over with a fork. If possible place another baking sheet on top of the pastry and cook for c 25 minutes or until the pastry is fully cooked through, crisp and hazelnut coloured.
- Remove the cooked pastry from the tin and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Place on a chopping board and using a serrated knife, cut three strips c9 cm wide and the full depth of the tin. Chop the pastry trimmings to a fine crumb and reserve.
- Place the butter in a bowl and beat until beginning to get pale and fluffy. I use a hand held electric mixer. Add the grated cheese and continue beating until the cheese is incorporated and looking lighter in colour. Add in the goats cheese, cream, milk and cayenne and beat again until it achieves a soft spreadable consistency. Taste and correct seasoning with salt and pepper. The mixture should taste highly but not over seasoned. Place about ¼ of the mixture in a piping bag fitted with a wide star nosel.
- To assemble the mille feuille, place one piece of pastry on a board and spread one third of the remaining cheese filling on top out to the edges. Lay a second piece of pastry firmly on the cheese and repeat. Place the remaining pastry on top and firm into position, aligning the edges neatly. Smooth off the sides if necessary adding a little more cheese filling to achieve a perfectly shaped rectangular box.
- Now press the reserved pastry trimmings on to the side of the pastry to create a pretty and neat effect. Pipe little rosettes on the edges of the top of the pastry and decorate with cranberries and rosemary sprigs. I sometimes dust the top of the pastry with a little finely grated Coolea cheese just before serving.
- When serving, use a serrated knife to cut neat slices about 1.5cm thick. Pass a salad of leaves or mushrooms separately and a bowl of cranberry sauce.
Cranberry Sauce
- Place the cranberries and water in a small saucepan and place on a low heat. Cover and simmer until the cranberries burst. Add in the sugar and stir well. Remove from the heat and taste and correct sweetness. I sometimes add a few drops of lemon juice if I feel the sauce needs sharpening up.
