Springtime Trompe-l'oeil

A recipe for a delicious trompe-l'oeil made with a candied egg yolk, béchamel sauce and Le Gruyère AOP shortbread.

Note

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Mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl.
Add the softened butter, oil, egg, herbs and grated Le Gruyère AOP. Mix well and shape into two dough balls.
Add the tomato concentrate to one of the dough balls.
Leave the two dough pieces to rest for 30 minutes in a cool place.
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Roll the two doughs out onto a floured work surface and cut them into thin strips. Arrange the strips closely together in alternating colours on a buttered baking tray or sheet of baking paper to form 5cm-wide rashers.
Carefully place forks under the rashers to give them some definition.
Cook for around 20 minutes in the oven, then set aside somewhere moderately warm.

Melt the butter in a pan. Add the flour and gently heat the mixture until it dries and begins to colour.
Mix in the milk, being careful not to burn the mixture.
Add the grated Le Gruyère AOP and seasoning. The béchamel should be quite thick. Set aside in a warm place.

This needs to be done five days ahead of the rest.
Mix the sugar and salt.
Put half of the mixture in a soup plate and use a spoon to make a well for each egg yolk.
Place an egg yolk in each of the wells and carefully cover with the remaining sugar and salt mixture.
After five days, quickly rinse the marinated egg yolks in cold water.
Place each egg yolk on the béchamel and garnish with a faux-bacon shortbread.