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Luzerner Chügelipastete

Veal ball pastry shell

Chügelipastete: Lucerne puff pastry shell filled with veal balls and mushrooms in cream

Chügelipastete is the Sunday and Christmas dish of Lucerne, a showpiece brought to the table whole: a big, tall puff pastry shell, like a giant vol-au-vent, filled with little veal meatballs (chügeli), sweetbreads or diced veal and mushrooms in a creamy white sauce, sometimes with raisins. Lucerne bakeries sell the shells ready-made. A common mistake is filling the pastry too early, which makes it soggy. Chef's tip: fill the warm shell at the very last moment and serve the extra sauce on the side. Veal meatballs must reach 71 °C.
Total time
120 min
Difficulty
hard
Serves
6
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Ingredients

Serves6

For the shell

For the meatballs

For the sauce

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What you'll need

Fresh ingredients (6)

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Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Heat the oven to 400°F (fan 350°F). Roll out two-thirds of 2 ¼ lb all-butter puff pastry and cut a 22 cm circle. Shape a ball of crumpled baking paper 15 cm across, wrap in more paper, put it on the circle and cover with the rest of the pastry, rolled into a larger circle. Seal and decorate with pastry strips. Brush with 1 egg.

  2. Step 2: Bake for 40 minutes, until deep golden. Cut a lid, remove the paper ball and keep warm.

    40 min
  3. Step 3: Mix 14 oz veal mince, 1 oz breadcrumbs, 1 egg, ¾ tsp salt and 1 pinch ground nutmeg and roll into small balls. Poach in simmering 2 ½ cups veal or chicken stock for 10 minutes, until they reach 160°F. Lift out and keep the stock.

    10 min
  4. Step 4: Fry 10 ½ oz button mushrooms in 1 ⅜ oz butter for 5 minutes. Stir in 1 ⅜ oz plain flour, then whisk in 400 ml of the stock and ¾ cup double cream and simmer 5 minutes. Add 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1 ⅜ oz raisins and ¼ tsp white pepper and the meatballs.

    10 min
  5. Step 5: Fill the warm shell just before serving. Common mistake: filling early; soggy pastry.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
680 kcal
Protein
34 g
Carbs
36 g
Fat
44 g
Fibre
2 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does luzerner Chügelipastete take?
About 120 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
What can I use instead of egg?
1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water per egg, left for 5 minutes (baking only; vegan).
What can I use instead of breadcrumbs?
Crushed crackers or cornflakes, same amount.

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