Profiteroles De Chèvre et Céleri, Purée De Tomates et Persil, R.I.P. Nicolas
Nicolas Jongleux is a Montreal legend. Born and raised in Marsannay, in Burgundy, he grew up working in some of France’s most influential kitchens, including, at age twenty-six, under Alain Chapel at the Michelin-three-star La Mère Charles in Mionnay. He came to Montreal under the guise of partnering in Le Cintra, where he worked for three years. From there he ran the seminal Les Caprices de Nicolas. David says: “He had more talent than anyone I’ve ever seen. I once watched him make sixty identical croissants by hand, no recipe, no scale, and he hadn’t made croissants for more than five years. When he finished, there was not a drop of extra pastry, and each pastry was perfect.” He was also the kind of person who had such discipline all of his life, that he when he left France, he lived the experiences most of us had in our teens, in his thirties. He opened his last restaurant, Café Jongleux, in 1999, and committed suicide in the restaurant later that year. This recipe was a Nicolas classic.
Recipe information
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
CHOUX PASTRY
CELERY ROOT AND GOAT CHEESE PURÉE
PARSLEY PURÉE
TOMATO SAFFRON COULIS
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a large rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. In a heavy saucepan, combine the water, butter, and salt and bring to a full boil over high heat. Remove from the heat and add the flour all at once, stirring vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture forms a smooth ball that doesn’t stick to the sides of the pan. Return the pan to medium-low heat and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Step 2
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then continue beating until the dough is smooth and shiny.
Step 3
With a spoon or a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch (6-mm) round tip, drop or pipe about 1 tablespoon of the dough onto the lined baking sheet for each profiterole, spacing them about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. You’ll only use 16 pastries for this recipe, but the profiteroles can be baked and then stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Step 4
Bake for 25 minutes, or until puffed, golden, and crisp. Turn off the oven and leave the choux on the pan in the oven until you are ready for them (be sure you take them out of the oven before step 8).
Step 5
To make the celery root and goat cheese purée, in a saucepan, combine the celery root with water to cover, bring to a boil, and cook for about 15 minutes, or until tender. Drain and process in a food processor. The purée should look like runny mashed potatoes and should yield about 1 cup (250 ml). In a bowl, combine the celery root purée and goat cheese and mix until homogenous. Season with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil. Reserve at room temperature until needed.
Step 6
To make the parsley purée, in the food processor, combine the parsley, chervil, half of the oil, and the water and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the remaining oil. The purée should have the thickness of yogurt. Season with lemon juice and salt.
Step 7
To make the coulis, in a small pot, warm the oil over medium heat, add the garlic, and sauté until golden. Add the tomato pulp and sugar and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until it thickens. Add the saffron at the last moment, then process in a blender until smooth. Keep warm until assembly.
Step 8
Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Using a small, serrated knife, cut the top one-fourth off each pastry. Keep the tops close by. With a small spoon or a clean piping bag fitted with a small, round tip, overstuff the base of each pastry until slightly full with the celery root and goat cheese purée. Replace the tops upside down.
Step 9
Arrange the pastries on the same parchment-covered baking sheet. Place in the oven and bake for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the filling is hot.
Step 10
While the pastries are baking, line up 4 shallow bowls (or a single platter if you’re serving family style) and spoon 3 to 4 spoonfuls of the tomato coulis into each bowl (or cover the bottom of the platter with a thin layer).
Step 11
When the pastries are ready, remove them from the oven and spoon a teaspoon-size dollop of the parsley purée in the upside-down cap of each one. Add a small chervil sprig to each dollop if you like. Place 4 pastries in each bowl, or put all of them on the platter. If you have the mimolette on hand, finely grate a little over each pastry before serving.
