Pig's trotter with ravigote is a bistro classic, and Bordier rebuilds it around a fruit butter. Purple artichokes are hollowed out and braised, then filled with diced trotter bound in a warm sauce of raspberry butter, capers, tarragon and raspberry vinegar. It is the most technical recipe in the Bordier collection and the one that rewards patience most. Set aside an afternoon.
At a glance
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Serves: 4
- Active time: About 45 minutes, most of it trimming artichokes
- Cook: Bordier does not state a time. The artichokes need roughly 20 minutes, and the trotters must already be cooked.
- Key ingredient: Bordier Raspberry Butter
Why this works
A ravigote is a sharp, caper-and-herb dressing that French cooks have put on boiled meats for two centuries, and its whole job is to cut through fat. Pig's trotter is about as fatty and gelatinous as charcuterie gets, which is why the pairing has survived. Bordier's move here is to replace the oil in that dressing with its raspberry butter, so the acid comes from raspberry vinegar and the fruit at the same time.
That butter has been in the range since 2006, made for a pastry chef friend of the house: salted Breton butter worked against tart raspberry. The salt is what makes it work in a savory sauce rather than reading as jam. Melted with fresh raspberries and vinegar, it becomes a warm emulsion that coats the diced trotter and sets slightly as it cools, held together by the gelatin already in the meat. The braised artichoke underneath is the third element, faintly bitter and green, and it keeps the whole thing from being too rich to finish.
Ingredients
Buy the trotters already cooked, or braise them the day before. Everything else comes together on the day.
| Ingredient | Metric | US |
|---|---|---|
| Purple artichokes | 12 | 12 |
| Pig's trotters | 2 | 2 |
| Bordier Raspberry Butter | 250 g | 8.8 oz, two blocks |
| Sicilian capers | 25 g | About 1 oz, 2 tbsp |
| Raspberry vinegar | 5 cl (50 ml) | About 3 1/2 tbsp |
| Raspberries | 6 | 6 |
| Tarragon | 1 bunch | 1 bunch |
| Shallots | 50 g | About 1 3/4 oz, 1 large shallot |
| White wine | As needed | As needed |
| Thyme | As needed | As needed |
Method
Step 1: Trim and braise the artichokes
Cut both ends off each artichoke. Scoop out the inside with a melon baller to leave a cup. Cook them in olive oil with shallot, white wine and thyme.
Step 2: Make the trotter and raspberry butter ravigote
Dice the pig's trotters. Chop the shallot, the capers and the tarragon. Melt the raspberry butter with the raspberries and the raspberry vinegar, then pour it over the diced trotters along with the chopped shallot, capers and tarragon.
Step 3: Fill and finish
Spoon the trotter mixture into the hollowed artichokes. Finish each one with a few raspberries and sprigs of tarragon.
Tips from our kitchen
- The trotters need to be cooked before you start. Bordier's method begins by dicing them, which assumes they arrive braised. Ours go into salted water with aromatics for about three hours, until the meat pulls away from the bone, then get cooled, boned and diced. That timing is our guidance, not Bordier's. A good butcher will often sell them already cooked, which saves the afternoon.
- Olive oil appears in the method but not in the ingredient list. Step one asks you to cook the artichokes in olive oil, shallot, white wine and thyme, with no quantity given. Two or three tablespoons in a wide pan is enough to coat the bases before the wine goes in. Again, our number.
- Split the shallots between the two steps. Fifty grams is listed once but shallot is called for in both the braise and the ravigote. We use about two thirds in the pan with the artichokes and chop the rest raw for the sauce, where the bite matters.
- Acidulate the artichokes as you trim. Cut purple artichokes oxidize within a minute or two and turn a dull grey-brown. Drop each one into water with lemon juice as you finish it. This is cosmetic, but the dish is served in the shell and it shows.
- Melt the butter gently and do not let it boil. The ravigote is an emulsion, and it wants low, steady heat. If the butter separates into clear fat and solids, take the pan off the burner, add a spoonful of the raspberry vinegar, and whisk hard until it comes back.
- Serve warm, not hot and not cold. Straight off the stove the sauce is loose and runs out of the artichoke. Fully chilled, the butter and gelatin set firm. A few minutes of resting gets you the texture that holds in the cup.
How to serve it
This is a first course, three artichokes to a plate, with a dry white from the Loire and nothing else competing. Bread is the one addition worth making, because there will be raspberry butter sauce left on the plate and leaving it there would be a waste. If you are building a menu around Bordier butters, our French churned butter collection is a good place to plan the rest of the courses.
Where to buy Bordier Raspberry Butter in the US
The French Pantry ships Bordier butter across the United States in insulated overnight packaging, straight from the workshop in Brittany.
- Churned Seasonal Raspberry Butter by Bordier (4.4 oz): salted Breton butter worked with tart raspberry, first made in 2006 for a pastry chef friend of the house.
To see what else the house makes, browse the Maison Bordier collection.
Frequently asked questions
How much raspberry butter do I need for this recipe?
The recipe calls for 250 g, which is exactly two of our 4.4 oz (125 g) blocks. There is no leftover, so order two and do not plan on using any of it for toast beforehand.
Can I substitute a different butter?
Not without losing the dish. The raspberry in the butter is half the acidity in the ravigote, working with the raspberry vinegar. If raspberry butter is out of season, Bordier Salted Butter will make a conventional warm ravigote, sharper and more herbal, and the artichoke and trotter still work. Keep the quantity at 250 g either way.
What if I cannot find purple artichokes?
Small young globe artichokes are the closest substitute and take the same treatment. What you cannot use are the large mature ones, since scooping them with a melon baller leaves you with a choke rather than a clean cup.
Does Bordier butter need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Bordier butter is a fresh, hand-churned product and ships cold. Keep both blocks in the refrigerator until the moment you melt them.
How should I store the butter?
Keep unopened blocks in the coldest part of the refrigerator and use them by the date on the wrapper, or freeze them for up to three months. Once opened, wrap the cut face tightly, keep it away from strong-smelling foods, and use it within about two weeks.
How much of this can I do ahead?
Braise the trotters up to two days ahead and keep them refrigerated. The artichokes can be trimmed and cooked the morning of. Make the ravigote at the last minute, since a melted butter sauce does not hold or reheat well.
Related reading
- Bordier Butter: What It Is, Why Chefs Love It, and How to Use It
- How to Choose Your French Butter: A Buyer's Guide
- Alain Milliat Jams
Recipe and photograph adapted from Maison Bordier, with thanks. The French Pantry is an authorized US retailer of Bordier butter.