Comments on: Foie Gras / Fattened Goose or Duck Liver a la Marketman

By: Stagiaire

Stagiaire — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 04:16:44 +0000

The trick to getting a good sear on foie is to (1) slice them thick (3/4 to one inch), (2) score the livers, and salt them aggressively (if using kosher salt, less if rock salt, obviously) and (3) get a fry pan or a cast iron pan real hot. 45 seconds on each side should do the trick if you were able to get the pan hot enough. What you want to see is a crunchy exterior, warm interior and the center just about raw. Finish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and serve it with some caramelized apples or mangoes and you’re good to go.

Remember to get the fat melted fat out of the pan right away to prevent it from burning. You can save it for later use, say in a foie emulsion (just like making hollandaise but replacing some of the butter with foie fat) or you can use the rendered fat as the fat in a vinaigrette for a salad of frisee et lardons…

The reason why you couldn’t get a good sear on your foie is that you are using frozen foie. Doesn’t matter if it were flash frozed because somewhere along the way, they were probably thawed out and were refrozen slowly. It’s during the slow freezing that ice crystals for that destroy the cell walls within the liver. You end up with mushy foie. That’s just the way it is….

Just to correct some of the statements in previous posts…

– you don’t have to flour the foie to get a good crust.
– french foie isn’t necessarily the best foie you can get. On average, foie from canada and HVFG and better. Most french foie gras producers produce for canneries (pates, etc.). Less than 5% of French foie production is grade A.
– ducks and geese do gorge on food until their livers get engorged. that’s where they store fat for their winter migration. That’s how where the egyptians got the idea in the first place.

By: hatari

hatari — Sun, 28 Jan 2007 04:09:51 +0000

This is my first post ever. I couldn’t resist jumping in seeing foie gras as the topic of discussion. I do a fair bit of cooking throughout the year but I pull out all the stops for our new year’s eve dinner…where foie gras has figured in a few times. I’ve tried frying the foie in a very hot and moderately hot pan, with and without flour. I’ve found that a moderately hot pan and dredging with flour works best but, as suggested by Maria Clara, be prepared to clean up or use a fresh pan in between..otherwise, you risk the black mess and bad flavor of burned flour residue. What I have tired is to ‘fry’ a slice of farmer’s bread (from Le Cour de France) in the remaining fat after frying a batch of foie and then to use this as part of the entire dish (as I don’t know where I can find good brioche). On my first attempt several years ago, someone gave me a jar of lingon berry jam and I found this (if my memory serves me right) was still the best accompaniment to the rich, fatty unctious foie. I just can’t remember who gave this to me or where it came from. I do, on my next attempt, want to try and replicate the balsamic and honey reduction which I had in Je suis Gourmand. The drink to accompany…bubbly, no question…..a dry cava, my favorite.

By: stadaenko

stadaenko — Fri, 12 Jan 2007 04:49:34 +0000

me and my wife were once in an ‘arranged’ dinner at El Circulo and we were served ‘3-way’ foie gras by their lady owner/chef (i think). i don’t know if this dish is on their menu but i think it’s a really nice & creative spin on the ‘3-way peking duck’. just read lorie’s blog and the recently featured ‘olive oil ice cream sandwich’ from El Cirkulo is likewise not on the menu.

Anyway, the consistent texture of all 3 presentations of the foie gras set us up perfectly to distinctly experience all 3 luxurious flavors. I can’t remember how each one was called but i do recall 1 of them seeming deliberately ‘raw-er’ than the others since it had a paler color, like it was seared for a shorter period than usual. I, of course, started with this and it was just sublime. The succession of the next 2 styles/flavors just floored us, like the pacmnan setting us up with a left jab, a right jab, then a left upper cut finish.

Reading this thread about the preparation & passion involved in foie gras engineering made me realize that i can only dream of me actually cooking one someday.

Jahri, our host that evening wasn’t into wine at all and ordered fruit juices for everyone. umm…yipeee?… But i would’ve ordered a crisp new zealand sauvignon blanc.

By: MRJP

MRJP — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 06:16:13 +0000

Holly molly!!! Poor ducks! Well, I think, I can also call myself “K.J.”. As tempting as it is to try these duck livers because of the readers’ and MM’s good review about it, (although I don’t eat any kind of livers) I may not try these at all. Not because I may not find it good, but my heart goes to the ducks who had to suffer having fatty livers! hu-hu-hu….

By: veron

veron — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 15:20:37 +0000

I did a post on foie over at my website. I like quickly pan searing the foie so I soak it in cold water first to firm up the flesh. Split the two lobes and fish out the veins. Then slice it on a diagonal. It gets easier after a while.Freeze the remainder with a vacuum sealer.

By: Gigi Santiago

Gigi Santiago — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 10:43:49 +0000

MM — Amusing that you had a back to back feature on pandesal and foie. I remember a foodie friend raving about her family’s decadent breakfast of seared foie in pandesal… What a way to start the day! Breakfast of champions!

By: trishlovesbread

trishlovesbread — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 05:17:38 +0000

Sauternes would probably work with foie.

By: Ped Ant

Ped Ant — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 23:42:01 +0000

In a restaurant in Oiartzun, I was served pan-seared foie with apple-raisin sauce as well as raisin sauce which was brilliant.

By: Marketman

Marketman — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 01:24:20 +0000

Jahri, I would prefer the foie with bubbly, Champagne or Cava, but I have to admit I am not a wine expert. I suspect it would go well with a sweeter white wine as well, since a classic pairing for the foie is some sweeter fruit… If other readers have an opinion on this, please leave a comment!

By: JahRi

JahRi — Sun, 07 Jan 2007 01:14:34 +0000

Marketman, what type of wine would you recommend or would rather have with bubbly? Please let me know at your convenience.

Thanks,

JahRi