This idea comes from a restaurant in Paris called Neige d’Été in the 15^th arrondissement. The Japanese chef, Hideki Nishi, assimilates a French approach and serves salmon with a gorgonzola millefeuille.

I wasn’t so sure about mixing the powerful gorgonzola with the salmon, but thought mushrooms would be a safe bet, but drizzling with basil oil keeps the whole thing fresh.

If not quite as amazing looking as Nishi’s confection this version still looks very impressive and it isn’t that difficult.

You can prepare ahead of time, then simply reheat the mushroom mixture gently. You need to assemble at the last minute though otherwise it will all go soggy.

Recipe for gorgonzola and mushroom millefeuille

Serves 8

Ingredients

• about 240 ml/1 cup of basil oil (you can buy this – but simply ‘infused’ oil is not thick enough; it’s also very easy to make – go here to find out how)
• 300g/10 oz mushrooms (chestnut if possible. For heaven’s sake don’t get the type that need peeling or you will be there for hours)
• 1 fat clove of garlic
• 1 banana shallot
• 25g/1 oz flat leaved parsley, roughly chopped
• 170ml/¾ cup single cream
• a little chopped, fresh rosemary and thyme
• 4 sheets filo pastry
• 2 tbsp roasted chopped hazlenuts
• ¼ cup/60 ml (approximately) melted butter
• smoked salt and Indonesian long black pepper (the earthy smell of this pepper goes particularly well with the mushrooms)
• 1 tbsp dry vermouth
• small bag mixed lettuce leaves

Method

1. Preheat your oven to 180ºC.
2. Clean your mushrooms and chop them.
3. Brush the sheets of filo on a large chopping board (or you can do this directly onto the greased baking tray if you cut carefully. This saves on the washing up) with some melted butter (melt the butter in a frying pan – you’re going to use it for the mushrooms later), keeping them separate.
4. Sprinkle with the chopped hazlenuts and a few grinds of the pepper.
5. Cut the pastry into 16 squares of about 2½”/5 cm and put onto a greased baking tray.
6. Bake for 5-10 minutes.
7. Fry the mushrooms with the banana shallot and the garlic in the remaining butter. Add the Martini slowly – don’t let it get too sloppy.
8. Chop up the gorgonzola and add it and the cream to the mushrooms.
9. Reduce. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if necessary.
10. Add most of the chopped parsley.
11. Toss the lettuce leaves in a little of the basil oil to coat very lightly.
12. On each plate put a spoonful of mushroom mixture, then a pastry leaf, then do the same again.
13. Garnish with the lettuce leaves – just a couple per plate.
14. Dot artistically with the basil oil (a squeezy bottle with a nozzle is great for this).

Music to cook to

Listen to Estas Tonne playing Walk In Paris