WineLovers Discussion Group

I watched a video this morning on foie gras preparation which was quite interesting. It included a demonstration of cleaning and prepping which was enormously helpful--though I've read detailed instructions, I somehow didn't get a clear idea as to how to get the veins out nor did I adequately appreciate the different methods one might employ depending on end use. The first time I prepared foie gras for pan searing, I broke the lobes down into too many pieces--had I seen this video first (demonstrations were by the Culinary Institute at Hyde Park), I wouldn't have made that error. Very, very helpful.

Anyway, one of the dishes prepared was a proscuitto-wrapped foie gras baked in a bread crust (that included chopped cepes). The foie was cleaned of all veins, formed with cellophane, wrapped in overlapping slices of proscuitto, then rolled in the bread dough. It was coated with olive oil and baked seam-side down at 450 for about 30 minutes, then brushed with olive oil again and topped with kosher salt upon removal from the oven. It was allowed to cool to room temp before slicing and serving.

I've never had anything quite like this, but I'll bet I'd find it an ultimate preparation.

Jenise wrote:I've never had anything quite like this, but I'll bet I'd find it an ultimate preparation.

Sounds like! Simple pan-cooked (<i>poele</i>) foie and pain grillé makes a wonderful combination, and if you think about it, this essentially takes those simple flavors and just adds a bit of prosciutto, which improves almost anything.

I do wonder about all the fat dripping out of the foie and saturating the croute, though.

Robin, on the video it shows them pulling the loaf out of the oven, and there's some fat on the parchment or whatever surface they had it setting on. The narrator describes the fact that some leakage is inevitable and expected, and the bottom crust appears to be crispy but with some fat saturation. However, that was the 2" immediately underneath the foie and the rest of that delicious mushroom bread was unaffected. Too, this is foie gras--I wouldn't put it past any of us who love this food to not find that affected bit of crust area the best part of the loaf.

Jenise wrote: The narrator describes the fact that some leakage is inevitable and expected, and the bottom crust appears to be crispy but with some fat saturation.

Hi Jenise,
I haven't worked with foie gras for a while, but to avoid this leakage, the liver must be cooked at a very low temperature. No warmer than 70 C I think.
Anyway, another way to prepare foie gras:
Marinate in Sauterns,trufflejuice, salt and pepper for 24 hours. Wrap it up in a kitchen towl and pour over hot duckfat. Put it in the fridge for a couple of days and serve with a warm roasted brioche.

If this feels like to much work, I think Robins way is excellent.

I worked with a chef once who did a really interesting preparation: he cured the lobe in milk to draw out the blood, removed the veins, and then poached the lobe in olive oil at a very low temp. The result was like butter as the foie was so rich you could spread it as such. It was served with a rhubarb compote.

I was the head waiter at the time and I always tried to get patrons to pair this with Voss Botrytis.

I've done it in cream, not olive oil, but it would be about the same difference: highly viscuous fat. And delicious! Interesting pairing with the rhubarb compote. Was this in the south?

Daniel K wrote:Marinate in Sauterns,trufflejuice, salt and pepper for 24 hours. Wrap it up in a kitchen towl and pour over hot duckfat. Put it in the fridge for a couple of days and serve with a warm roasted brioche.

If this feels like to much work, I think Robins way is excellent.

No, never too much work. Especially for a good foie, one should expect to work, don't you think? No detail too small for something as rich and decadent (and expensive) as that.

Jenise wrote:I've done it in cream, not olive oil, but it would be about the same difference: highly viscuous fat. And delicious! Interesting pairing with the rhubarb compote. Was this in the south?

Well, if you call Austin, TX "the South" then, yes. This chef was (is) good at stuff like this. It was a real interesting pairing in that the richness of the foie was contrasted by the bite of the compote.

That's why I liked the Voss Botrytis with it. The texture of the wine was very viscous, which complimented the foie. The botrytis helped to compliment the sharpness of the rhubarb. It was yummy.

By the way, the cream poaching sounds killer!