Rachel's Tropical Mille Feuille
A French classic with a tropical twist! This week’s technical challenge was Rachel’s Tropical Mille Feuille, a sweet and savoury treat of puff pastry layered with creamy coconut mousse, jerk chicken and a mango salsa.
Watch the new season of Foxtel Original series The Great Australian Bake Off Tuesdays 7:30pm on LifeStyle or on demand.
COOKING TIME: 2 hours
SERVES: 3
INGREDIENTS
Rough Puff Pastry:
200g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
200g unsalted butter, cold, diced
80-100ml cold water
Pinch table salt
Jerk Chicken:
1 chicken breast, butterflied
Jerk Rub:
½ tsp ground allspice
Pinch ground nutmeg
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground ginger
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp dried thyme
½ tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp salt
½ tsp brown sugar
½ red birdseye chilli, finely chopped
½ tsp apple cider vinegar
½ tsp soy sauce
1 - 2 tbsp sunflower oil
Coconut Rice Mousse:
100g long grain white rice
500ml water
100ml cooked rice water
65ml coconut milk
1 tsp salt
100ml coconut cream
200ml pouring cream
1 tsp jerk rub (above)
Mango Salsa:
100g mango, diced
100g pineapple, diced
1 long red chili, finely diced
1 lime (zest and juice)
Generous pinch of salt flakes
To decorate:
Micro coriander
Banana leaf (for presentation platter)
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Prepare the rough puff: In a large bowl, combine the flour and salt add the cold, cubed butter and rub into flour until it comes together but still has visible chunks of butter. Gradually add cold water to form a rough dough. Roll out dough into a large rectangle on a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough into thirds, like folding a letter, brushing off any excess flour. Turn 90 degrees and repeat the roll and fold process once more. Wrap the dough and place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
Prepare the chicken and rub: Butterfly chicken lengthways. Mix spice rub ingredients and combine. Reserve 1 tsp of spice rub, set aside. Coat chicken all over with remaining spice rub. Set chicken aside to marinate.
For rough puff: (2nd turn) Remove chilled dough from the freezer. Give dough two more turns, rolling and folding as before. Wrap and place back in the freezer for additional 15 minutes.
Roast the chicken: Place chicken in small roasting tray, cover with foil. Cook in a preheated oven at 200°C for 15 minutes or until cooked through, set aside to cool.
For the coconut rice mousse: In a medium pot, add 500ml of water, bring to the boil, add unwashed rice. Cook for 8 minutes, strain, reserving the rice water. In a small saucepan combine cooked rice, coconut milk, 100ml reserved rice water, and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 10-12 minutes or until all the liquid has absorbed. Remove from heat, stir in coconut cream and reserved spice rub. Set aside, covered. for 10 minutes.
For rough puff pastry: (3rd & final turn) Remove dough from freezer. Give dough two additional turns, rolling and folding as before. Roll dough into a large rectangle to fit the size of lined baking tray. (30x40cm). Prick all over with a fork. Rest in refrigerator for 10 minutes.Bake the puff pastry: Remove the pastry from the fridge. Cover pastry with baking paper, place a second baking tray on top, firmly pressing down evenly. Place a smaller tray with weights on top tray and bake for 30 minutes, turning halfway. Remove top tray and baking paper and continue baking uncovered for an additional 10 minutes, or until the pastry is evenly cooked and golden. Set aside to cool.
Prepare Mango Salsa: Cut mango and pineapple into a small dice, approx. 0.5cm combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients, season with salt and set aside in fridge.Blend the Coconut Rice: Transfer cooked rice to a small food processor and blend until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and allow to cool.
Cut the chicken: Cut three 4cm long strips of chicken, reserve for decoration. Finely dice remaining chicken and set aside.
Finish coconut rice mousse: In a stand mixer, Whip the cream to soft peaks. Gently fold into cooled rice mixture until fully incorporated and smooth. Transfer mousse into a piping bag fitted with a small round tip.
Assemble the Mille-Feuille: Cut 9 discs of pastry using a 7cm round cutter. Place the 7cm cutter around a pastry disc. Pipe a little mousse onto puff pastry to cover the base. Top with approx ¼ cup diced chicken (halfway up the ring), gently press.
Remove ring and top with a pastry disc. Pipe small dots of mousse around the outside edge of the pastry and fill the centre with salsa. Top with third pastry disc. Repeat to complete 3 mille-feuille.
To decorate: Decorated with sliced chicken, pipe mousse, add salsa and micro coriander on top of each mille-feuille.
Place banana leaf on presentation board, transfer mille-feuille and serve
