Cannelloni with foie, meat and seasonal mushrooms

These cannelloni with foie gras, meat and seasonal mushrooms is an ideal recipe as part of our Christmas menu.

Of course, because they are exquisite, but also because foie gras is something special that we don't eat every week and neither do good mushrooms, although you can make them with whatever you can find.

But above all, it is a very grateful recipe, because they are easy to make, although laborious, and better yet, you can have them made the day before, even weeks before if you freeze them.

You will only have to bake for about ten minutes and leave the gratin always for the last moment.

INGREDIENTS: ( 4 persons)

For the filling:

• 100 gr of foie bloc
• 20 wafers of cannelloni (125gr.)
• 250 gr of veal minced meat
• 250 gr of mushrooms or seasonal mushrooms
• 30 gr of boletus dehydrated (if you can find them fresh, much better)
• 1 leek 
• 60 gr of shallot or spring onion
• 100 ml port or brandy
• Salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil
• 50 gr Parmesan cheese

For the sauce:

• 500 ml chicken broth (or sum of mushroom soaking water + remaining broth)
• 200 ml evaporated milk
• 20 gr flour
• A dash of brandy
• Salt
• Pepper
• Nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

STEP BY STEP RECIPE:

1. The first thing we will do to prepare these cannelloni with foie, meat and seasonal mushrooms, will be to remove the base, the green part and the first layer of the leek and chop it. Peel the shallots or remove the green part of the spring onion and the base, and chop it as well.
2. Cut the mushrooms, already cleaned, in slices.
3. Pour 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan, heat and sauté the leek and shallots with a pinch of salt for 7 minutes over medium heat.
4. Add the mushrooms and another pinch of salt and cook for 7 minutes, or until all the water released by the mushrooms has evaporated. If we use the boletus If you have dehydrated beans, soak them for about ten minutes beforehand to soften or hydrate them, and then drain them before adding them to the frying pan. Strain this soaking water, which you will see has acquired a brown color. 
5. Now it is time to add the wine, turn up the heat, and let the alcohol evaporate for about a minute.
6. Season the minced meat with salt and pepper and add it to the pan and stir. Cook for another two minutes.
7. Turn the heat back down to medium. Add the foie and with the help of a spatula, stir to melt and mix well with the rest of the ingredients. Cook for 7 minutes more, stirring from time to time over medium heat. Depending on the quality of the meat and the foie, it may release more or less fat. If you see that it has released enough, tilt the pan slightly, remove the meat upwards so that the excess fat drips downwards, and remove the excess fat with a spoon.
8. Meanwhile, in another pan we will make the sauce. This time instead of a traditional bechamel sauce, we are going to use broth to make it lighter and with more flavor. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the flour. Toast over medium heat, stirring with a whisk.
9. Add the brandy, turn up the heat a lot so that the alcohol evaporates and then add the broth and the soaking water of the boletus that we had reserved. We leave it over medium high heat and let it reduce for about 5 minutes.
10. I add the evaporated milk and cook for about 5 minutes more until it has taken some thickness. In any case it has to be rather liquid, since it is a bechamel coating, not croquettes and then when we bake it will thicken a little more. I add a pinch of salt, pepper and nutmeg, taste and correct the salt if necessary. Pour a little of this sauce into the sauce pan and stir, to make it even juicier.
11. On the other hand, I use the cannelloni easy, which are the ones you don't have to boil, just soak them in plenty of hot water for 20 minutes. After this time, take them out one by one and leave them spread out on a kitchen towel, separated from each other, to remove excess water. Turn them upside down for better drying. If you use traditional cannelloni pasta, you will have to boil them according to each manufacturer's instructions.
12. To fill in these cannelloni with foie gras, meat and seasonal mushrooms, You can do it with the help of a spoon, or faster or cleaner, with the help of a piping bag. If you decide to use a pastry bag, pass the filling through a blender and chop it into a homogeneous paste. Put the filling in the piping bag and pour the dough into each cannelloni, just enough so that you can close the cannelloni!
13. In a baking dish pour a little sauce on the base, and then place one by one the cannelloni in a row, one next to the other. Pour the rest of the sauce on top, sprinkle with grated cheese and bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 200ºc. Do not turn off the oven, turn on the broiler and broil until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. As I always remember, every oven is different, so make sure they don't burn!

I hope you enjoy these cannelloni with foie gras, meat and seasonal mushrooms in the company of your loved ones.

                                                  MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I remind you that on my Instagram @cocinayviajes you can find more recipes and video recipes, succulent raffles and my gastronomic recommendations for you to discover new destinations, restaurants and wonderful products.

With all my love, I wish you a sweet Christmas !

Mireia Alum