European
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This is the duck pie at the European. Orgasmic doesn’t even come close to how good it was. Sitting on top a braise of wild mushroom, mirepoix and creamed spinach, the flaky butter puff pastry encased impossibly large chunks of oh so tender duck meat. It didn’t need a sauce or gravy to extend itself, because this is as good as it’s gonna get baby.
The European is a very Italian/French style bistro located at the top end of town. It therefore attracts a rather top end clientele - pollies, lawyers, accountants and the uber professionals hankering for a fix of old school bone marrow on toast, fish with vegetables/mussels (photo below), bouillabaisse, swanky risotto or pomme frites. It is busy to the extreme at breakfast, lunch and dinner (bookings advised for the latter two), but I think it has spunk. The flavours are big, the place is brassy and the wait staff are bold. You can’t help but be charmed.
Written by mellie on
April 8th, 2007 | Tags: cafes, restaurants | Category: Uncategorized
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April 10th, 2007 at 10:35 am
Hi Mellie
Great shot of the duck pie, in a classic sense it is called a pithivier (the markings on the pastry are meant to make it look like a French coal miners hat) and is one of the best ones I have seen for ages. I have copied your image to my files I like it so much. Thanks!
Jack
April 10th, 2007 at 11:25 am
Jack I wished I’d looked at the comments before i went on a wild duck chase. When I saw a pic of the pie I thought “pithivier!” and then set about trying to find what it meant….now if I’d only clicked comments first I would have known all about coal miners hats in an instant…though my search said nothing about hats but just it was the name of a french town where it originated.
anyway…it bought back a wonderful memory of a vegetarian pithivier at the Healesville Hotel a few years ago. The fish looks good too.
April 10th, 2007 at 12:16 pm
Hey there Jack - thanks for the foodie lesson
I can’t tell you how excited I was when the waitress placed the “pithivier” before me. It was a feast for the eyes well before it became a feast of the tastebuds!
Hi AOF - yes, the fish was wonderful as well. It was heavy on the smoky Hungarian paprika - and the skin was crisped to within an inch of itself.
April 10th, 2007 at 12:43 pm
AOF
I love a bit of food trivia, but now you mention about just the town I am questioning my memory of the origins of this fancy pie. I have just rapidly flipped through a few books at home but will find the source tomorrow at work and attach it for you. They were tradionally sweet but commonly interpreted now as a savoury item.
Jack
April 11th, 2007 at 2:15 am
Mellie, promise I’m not copying you - just yesterday I booked into The European for this weekend as I couldn’t get into Bistro Vue.
April 11th, 2007 at 4:42 am
Hey there Jack - ooh, sounds very interesting. I love finding out about the history of a dish - I look forward to hearing what you come up with.
Hi again ed - well I can highly recommend the duck pithivier
And the European is as Parisian bistroesque as your likely to get. I’m yet to do bistro vue, but there is a certain authenticity to the feel of the European. Enjoy!
April 15th, 2007 at 1:13 pm
Mel, I was there on Friday and hooked into the duck pie (ok, I should call it a “pithivier” given what others have said on this thread). It was almost too much to handle for lunchtime but was everything you promised. The oyster mushrooms that accompanied it were sublime too.
April 15th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
You’re absolutely right ken - it was “almost” too much for lunch. But I tackled it like a trooper - I will never surrender!