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On one of my early visits to France years ago, we stayed in a divine little Chambre d’Hôte, L ’Impasse du Temple, now called a Maison de Maître. It was located down a difficult to find narrow laneway, pre-GPS days, in a pretty, tiny town called Léran, in the Midi Pyrenées, near Mirepoix, a beautiful medieval bastide town, in South West France. It was a memorable stay. The accommodation was fabulous, we ate dinner outside in the pretty courtyard garden and enjoyed a relaxed, delightful night with our charming hosts, John and Lee-Anne Furness. Lee-Anne was a good cook and John was an informative conversationist who knew a lot about the local Languedoc wines and the politics at the time! It was 2005. What I remember most was the delicious chicken pithivier main course. I don’t think I had eaten one in France before, so I was quite excited by it, plus with the beautiful ambience of the courtyard garden in this tiny, remote village.

Now, whenever I make these divine pithiviers I remember that visit of 20 years ago and the delicious dinner we enjoyed with John and Lee-Anne in their tiny French village. All this came strongly back to mind when I cooked a duck confit and mushroom pithivier for my dear Francophile friends and former owners of our Betty B Barge when they came to lunch here at Kureelpa last week.

Pithiviers have always been a favourite of mine and it was a perfect choice for my friends, who adore French food as much as I do.  I have spent many dinners and lunches with Tony and Jocelyn in France, in various locations, on their new barge and on our Betty B. We share a strong common bond in our mutual love affair with France!  I think pithiviers look so special but in fact, they are really a French puff pastry pie! The confit duck, onion and mushroom filling does take a little time to prepare and make, but the whole dish can be made in advance. First make the puff pastry; refrigerate, then roll out, cut into the required discs, one bigger than the other, cryovac, and freeze until required. Next make the duck confit, which takes place over a day or 2. When the confit is  cooked, remove the flesh from the bones and shred; set aside until ready to assemble; this may be frozen.  Finally cook the filling with the onions, mushrooms,  garlic, thyme, sage, porcini, and some dried porcini powder. Set aside to cool and add the duck confit.  Now you are ready to assemble it all.  It is worth the planning as it is so easy and quick to serve, plus and most importantly, it is delicious to eat. I served with braised red cabbage and apple.

We sometimes cook these in our French Odyssey – Journey through France cooking class – check for the next dates for these French Odyssey cooking classes. If you would especially like to cook these pithiviers, email me, at tonya@cookingonthebay.com.au and ask for them to be included in the menu.