Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (129 page)

2)
Poaching the sausage—about 40 minutes; omit this step if you are using the already cooked chicken-liver sausage mixture

The sausage (see introductory paragraph)

A loaf pan just large enough to hold the sausage (loaf shape recommended)

½ cup dry white wine or dry white French vermouth

3 or more cups beef bouillon simmering in a saucepan

1 imported bay leaf

Salt and pepper

Useful: a meat thermometer

Prick the sausage in several places with a pin and place in pan. Pour in the wine and enough simmering bouillon to cover sausage by 1 inch. Add seasonings and bring liquid to just below the simmer (water is shivering and almost bubbling). Cover loosely and maintain liquid at this state for 40 minutes. Remove sausage, peel off casing, and return to liquid until you are ready to proceed to Step 3. Sausage should be hot (around 165 degrees) for next step; reheat if necessary.

3)
Achieving the free-form brioche shape

The chilled dough

The hot, cooked, and peeled sausage (or room-temperature chicken-liver sausage)

A large pastry sheet or tray 16 by 24 inches, covered with lightly floured waxed paper

A lightly buttered pastry sheet at least 12 by 16 inches in diameter

Rapidly roll the chilled
brioche
dough into a rectangle approximately 24 by 10 inches. With a pastry wheel or knife, cut off a 4- by 10-inch strip and refrigerate it. Roll remaining dough up on your pin and unroll it onto the waxed-paper-covered sheet or tray.

Trim off excess dough from 2 ends, and press dough cover in place lightly with fingers. Set uncovered at a temperature of no more than 75 to 80 degrees. Let dough rise until it feels light and spongy-springy when touched—40 to 60 minutes. (Preheat oven in time for next step.)

4)
Baking—about 1 hour; oven preheated to 425 degrees

1 egg beaten with 1 tsp water in a small bowl

A pastry brush

Scissors

A cooling rack

Just before baking, paint top of dough with egg glaze; let set a moment, and paint again.