French Pithiviers with Watercress and Ricotta…Leftovers Never Tasted So Good

Pithivier with Watercress and Ricotta

With one friend in Venice and another heading to Paris and Spain for several months I have been dreaming of loitering on the French Bank, eavesdropping on French philosophers over strong coffee at Cafe de Flore, buying cheese and baguettes for an impromptu lunch at the market, skipping down the steps at Montmartre and indulging in far too many trips to Laduree and Pierre Herme. As a Canadian, France is on my mind today with visions of soldiers storming Normandy or valiantly trying to survive at Vimy Ridge. In my minds eye I see row upon row of white crosses for unknown soldiers at Flanders Fields and poppies with their crimson heads bowing in the gentle breezes. I am thankful that my thoughts and memories do not mimic those of the soldier during wartime, that I can travel the world uninhibited and feel welcome there. Thank you to the thousands upon thousands of soldiers who have made this possible. We must remember today and always.

In my armchair journey with child-like wonder I have my face pressed up against the glass of a patisserie window with dreams of croissants, macarons, and Pain au Chocolat. In reality today I wanted something different, something symbolic, something traditional. To gather my thoughts Pithivier or Galette des Rois fit the bill nicely. It is a classic dish traditionally served on the twelfth night of Christmas in France but I think it makes for a wonderful dish at anytime. Traditionally it is a sweet dish but leftover cooked chicken breast, watercress and ricotta cheese beckoned for something savoury. With dreams of turning leftovers into art I headed into the kitchen with determination.

 A Pithiviers is a type of cake or large pastry made in France. It is usually about 10 inches (25 cm) wide, with a top and buttom crust made of puff pastry, with a dense almond paste (“Crème d’amandes) filling inside. The top is rounded and higher than the edges, and slashed, typically in a starburst pattern. The origin of this pastry is credited to the town of Pithiviers in the Orleans area of France. Both sweet and savoury versions exist.

I will be living vicariously through my friends accounts of the seasons in Europe, photos and stories…for now.  I was 18 the last time I walked the streets of Paris. It is a faded memory like an ancient postcard tucked away in a drawer. I have many photos of my 18-year-old self walking up the steps of the Eiffel Tower or having a drink in the French Quarter, of wandering amongst the lavender in Provence or the beaches of the French Riviera. When I travel I have always taken hundreds, if not thousands, of photos. Long before blogging, long before internet, cell phones or digital cameras, I was taking photos of the food at my table while on even the smallest of adventures. There’s something so evocative to me about pictures of food and the power they have to vividly remind me of mouth-watering meals and moments that I’ve had on my travels. I can look at my culinary photos and remember exactly where I was, the scent of the dish placed in front of me, and the way the flavours opened up on my palate. In many cases the taste or smell of something in my past is capable of painting a picture with richer, deeper brush strokes than any snapshot in my photo album.

These savoury pithiviers baking in my oven this morning remind me of a warming breeze, a glass of Chardonnay and a savoury pie enjoyed in the warm sunshine outside of Notre Dame Cathedral. A good hand pie to eat cold, stuffed with a light mix of ricotta and green, peppery watercress, over a layer of poached chicken.

"On a cold November Sunday morn, an old man sits a while
Looking though old photographs, he can’t help but smile
They’re all there, all the boys, with hair cut short and neat
Uniforms of khaki, strong black boots upon their feet.
They met as strangers but soon became like brothers to the end
Smiling at the camera, there could be no truer friends.
They all took the Queen’s shilling, went off to fight the hun,
Soon learnt the pain of loss once the fighting had begun.
So many never made it home, lost on foreign shores
Many more were injured and would be the same no more.
The old man’s eyes mist with tears as he remembers every face
Each of his fallen brothers and the killing which took place
He proudly dons his beret, his blazer and his tie
For today he will remember the ones who fell and died.
On his chest there is a poppy, a blaze of scarlet on the blue
He steps out into the cold, he has a duty he must do
Once at the cenotaph he stands amongst the ranks
Of those who marched to war and those who manned the tanks,
He bows his head in reverence, as the last post begins to play
And he wonders what will happen at the ending of his days
Will anyone remember? Will anybody care?
About the lads so far from home whose life was ended there?
I wish that I could tell him, that he should fear not
For this soldier and his brothers will NEVER be forgot
We owe a debt of gratitude that we can never pay
And this country WILL remember them, on each Remembrance day."

Maria Cassee

Clockwise - Galette des Rois (Paris Sweets in Seattle); ;Smoke Salmon and Cream Cheese Pithivier (Thyme and Envy);Pithiviers (Cook, Move and Eat Fast); Apple Pithivier with Vanilla Apple Butter (Food Thinkers);Butternut Squash and Gruyere Pithivier - Chez Dave

Pithivier

**Pithivier with Watercress and Ricotta**

1 to 1 1/2 cups leftover chicken, cut into slices
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 large bunch of watercress, chopped
250g ricotta cheese
100g breadcrumbs
¼ teaspoon grated nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg
500g puff pastry
1 egg, mixed with a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon water, to glaze

Roll out the pastry and cut into 8 rounds, each roughly the size of a small side plate or smaller. Lay 4 on  a parchment paper lined baking sheet and chill them while you make the filling.

In a small sauté pan over medium heat cook chopped shallots until translucent, approximately 3 - 4 minutes. In the last minute of cooking add minced garlic. Allow to cool.

Mix together the watercress, ricotta, breadcrumbs, nutmeg, seasoning, egg and sautéed shallots and garlic.

Place the chicken meat in the centre of each of 4 pieces of pastry, leaving a border of 3cm, then cover the meat with the watercress mixture. Brush the edge of the pastry with the eggwash, then lay the second piece over the top. Press down the edges, and trim to make a neat oval. Brush the whole surface with eggwash then score the surface with a knife in a decorative pattern.

To bake, preheat the oven to 200C/gas mark 6. Place the pithivier in the oven and bake until golden (25-35 minutes). Allow to cool before slicing.


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