Pigs Trotters , Pierre Koffman

Originally served at La Tante Claire

Serves 4

4 pigs' back trotters
100g carrots, diced
100g onions, diced
150ml dry white wine
1 tbs port
150ml veal stock
225g veal sweetbreads, blanched and chopped
75g butter, plus a knob for the sauce
20 dried morels, soaked until soft, and drained
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 chicken breast, skinned and diced
1 egg white
200ml double cream
knob of butter, to serve
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 160ºC/gas 3. Place the trotters in a casserole with the diced carrots and onions, the wine, port and veal stock. Cover and braise in the oven for 3 hours.

Meanwhile, fry the sweetbreads in the butter for 5 minutes, add the morels and chopped onion and cook for another 5 minutes. Leave to cool.

Purée the chicken breast with the egg white and cream, and season with salt and pepper. Mix with the sweetbread mixture to make the stuffing. Take the trotters out of the casserole and strain the cooking stock, keeping the stock but discarding the vegetables. Open the trotters out flat and lay each one on a piece of foil. Leave to cool.

Fill the cooled trotters with the chicken stuffing and roll tightly in foil. Chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 220ºC/gas 7 or prepare a steamer, and when the water is simmering, steam the foil-wrapped trotters until heated through. Alternatively, put the trotters in a casserole, cover and heat in the oven for 15 minutes.

Put the trotters on a serving dish and remove the foil. Pour the reserved stock into the casserole and reduce by half.

Whisk in a knob of butter, pour the sauce over the trotters and serve very hot.