Cornish Hens with Tokaji Aszú Beurre Blanc, Caramelized Apples, Cabbage Parcels, and Poppyseed Gougères

Bring the water, butter, and salt to a boil in a medium pot.

While the water boils, sift together the lupin flour, psyllium husk powder, and xanthan gum (this is important to prevent lumps in the batter).

Dump all the sifted dry ingredients into the boiling water and cook, stirring constantly with a spatula over medium heat until the dough comes together in a ball and pulls away from the sides of the pan. The mixture will separate and leak oil but will come back together after adding eggs later.

Allow the batter to cool until you can touch the pan and then beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix well until completely smooth. The batter should just fall from the spatula (it is more stiff than a traditional choux pastry). Stir in the cheese until evenly mixed.

Transfer the batter to a piping bag fitted with a 1/2 inch round tip (or a ziplock bag and then trim the corner). Pipe 12 mounds onto a parchment or silicon lined baking sheet. Use a wet finger to press any raised tips down. Sprinkle poppyseeds over top of each choux.

Add the apples, butter, and Tokaji to a pan and cook until little to no liquid remains. Season with a small pinch of salt and fresh lemon juice and then set aside.

Remove half of the leaves and using a sharp knife, cut out the thick inner vein. Blanch in generously salted boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until soft. Shock in ice water to stop the cooking and preserve the color. Set aside.

While the leaves blanch, finely slice the remaining cabbage. Set aside.

Heat a large pan over medium heat and add the butter and shallots. Cook, stirring often until soft and translucent but not colored. Add the shredded cabbage and a pinch of thyme and cook, stirring occasionally until the cabbage is soft and wilted, about 15 minutes. Set aside.

To assemble the cabbage rounds, place a ring mold on the counter and line it with a couple overlapping blanched cabbage leaves, pressing to ensure they fill the mold and overhang the top. Fill with a tablespoon of apple compote and then the sautéed cabbage and shallot mixture. Fold the overhanging cabbage over the filling and press to compress the mixture and leaves into the round shape. Transfer to the refrigerator to set, at least a couple of hours and up to overnight. Simply press out of ring mold before serving.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and grease it well with avocado oil, set aside. Place the halved hens cut side down onto the prepared tray. Season all over with salt and then sprinkle with baking powder. Place into the refrigerator and let stand uncovered overnight for best results (an overnight rest of at least 12 hours and preferably 24 hours will produce the most crisp skin).

When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425ºF. Once the oven is up to temperature, bake the hens at 425ºF for 45-50 minutes, or until 165ºF measured in the thigh and the skin is golden and crisp. Let rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Combine the wine, vinegar, juice, shallots, and thyme and bring to a boil. Adjust heat to medium-high and reduce the volume to about 1 tablespoon, about 10 minutes.

Strain this mixture through a fine sieve into a container and add two pieces of butter. Using an immersion blender, puree until smooth. With the blender running, continue adding butter, one piece at a time, until it is all incorporated. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep in a warm place before serving.

Place half a hen on each plate, arrange sides and then pour sauce in the middle. Serve immediately.