Torte of Potatoes and Pigs' Feet

This is from saveur magazine November 1998.  The original recipe calls for pig snouts, but I neglected to soak them overnight.  I decided to make this at the last minute, so dinner didn't make it to the table until 11:00.  Cover 5 pounds of pigs' feet with cold salted water and bring to a boil.  When it starts to foam, drain and rinse feet.  Clean pan.  Put back into pan.  Whisk 2 tbsp flour in 1 cup dry white wine until smooth.  Pour over feet.  Add one onion studded with 2 cloves, 2 mashed garlic cloves, 1 carrot peeled and halved, 1 celery stalk, 1 leek and bouquet garni (thyme, leek, bay leaf and parsley).  Bring to a boil, then reduce and simmer partially covered for 4-5 hours.  Remove meat from pot and let cool.  Pull meat off of bone and put in a large bowl.

Melt 2 tbsp butter and saute 1 large chopped shallot and 4 chopped garlic cloves until softened.  Add onion mixture, 1 1/2 tbsp dijon, 1/4 cup white wine vinegar, 2 tbsp chopped parsley, 2 tbsp chopped chervil, 2 tbsp chopped parsley and salt and pepper to meat mixture.

Boil 5 waxy potatoes.  Then peel and slice.

Roll out 2 sheets puff pastry. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a souffle dish (ours was 7 x 3) (buttered and floured) with the pastry.  Alternate layers of potato and meat mixture.  Cover with the other sheet of puff pastry.  Make a small parchment paper tube and put in middle to vent torte.  Whisk one egg with a little water and brush pastry top.  Place pan on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Bake 40 minutes.  Let rest 20 minutes before slicing.

The feet didn't have a lot of meat.  It was mostly cartilage, fat and skin.   It left a kind of sticky goo on our lips.  But the flavor and richness was good.  We are thinking we would use ham hock in place of the feet to get a little more meat and mix it with sausage.

I'm proud of the boys for eating pigs' feet pie!