Foie Gras: The Topic

[Verbena-NZ]

I just picked up a whole duck foie gras to take make dinner for Christmas.  Since this is my first time cooking it, I've decided to just sear some slices.  I've been checking in the French Laundry cookbook which gives a fairly thorough explanation on cleaning the liver for a terrine.  My question is, if I'm just searing it, do I still need to take the lobes apart to remove the veins?  The terrine method Keller uses calls for cutting into it, and I'm worried that if I do that, it'll fall apart on a hot skillet.

Thanks.

NO,

Just cut each slice(80grams) with a knife thats been heated slightly to help cut the lobe. Leave the lobes ice cold whilst cutting, this helps keep the edges neat and also with portioning.

Don't season the foie gras prior to cooking.use some maldon salt or similar after cooking and try a pinch of medium ground white pepper after cooking as well.If you season prior to cooking then you run the risk of burning the perrer and imparting a slightly bitter taste to it

If you take the viens out prior to searing it. IT WELL dissolve and fall apart on you . Remember de-vein if making a terrine, don't if searin or pan frying.

Edited December 22, 2003 by Verbena-NZ (log)

[budrichard]

I just picked up a whole duck foie gras to take make dinner for Christmas.  Since this is my first time cooking it, I've decided to just sear some slices.  I've been checking in the French Laundry cookbook which gives a fairly thorough explanation on cleaning the liver for a terrine.  My question is, if I'm just searing it, do I still need to take the lobes apart to remove the veins?  The terrine method Keller uses calls for cutting into it, and I'm worried that if I do that, it'll fall apart on a hot skillet.

Thanks.

NO,

Just cut each slice(80grams) with a knife thats been heated slightly to help cut the lobe. Leave the lobes ice cold whilst cutting, this helps keep the edges neat and also with portioning.

Don't season the foie gras prior to cooking.use some maldon salt or similar after cooking and try a pinch of medium ground white pepper after cooking as well.If you season prior to cooking then you run the risk of burning the perrer and imparting a slightly bitter taste to it

If you take the viens out prior to searing it. IT WELL dissolve and fall apart on you . Remember de-vein if making a terrine, don't if searin or pan frying.

Right on! Good answer! -Dick

[Jon Tseng]

And if you're slicing don't slice it too thin it it will dissolve before your eyes in the frying pan - re the bit in the FL book about, er, not slicing it too thin

cheerio

J

[bobsdf]

On of the cookbooks I have--I think it's a C. Trotter one--recommends freezing the slices before searing. This allows you to get a proper crust on the outside without melting the whole thing. I've done this using the pre-cut slices from D'Artagnan straight out of the freezer and It works fine.

[Al_Dente]

My problem is the opposite. I don't think I want to sear it, just cook it. Then make my soup with chicken broth and a little port. Chef I spoke to and got the lobes from said to put it in a 400 degree oven for about 10mins. What kinda pan? Will there be a lot of melting? Will it just disintegrate?

Getting a little anxious here....

[MichaelB]

My problem is the opposite. I don't think I want to sear it, just cook it. Then make my soup with chicken broth and a little port. Chef I spoke to and got the lobes from said to put it in a 400 degree oven for about 10mins. What kinda pan? Will there be a lot of melting? Will it just disintegrate?

Getting a little anxious here....   

I don't know if you were participating in the other thread; but I have poached my foie gras for soups and sauces. It will release some fat; so you should defat the stock you use for poaching afterwards. These days, I generally poach/confit foie gras in duck fat.

Will it melt if you roast it? My experience is that it depends on the liver -- and the producer. I prefer Hudson Valley for roasting and searing. I think it tends not to fall apart. The Canadian foie from Palmex releases a lot more fat. I use it for poaching and for terrines.

Edit to say -- Don't worry though. It is foie gras. Whatever you do -- and even if you completely mess up your soup, your soup will still be better than 95% of the edible stuff on earth.

Edited December 24, 2003 by MichaelB (log)

[pastramionrye]

you could sear the whole foie gras, getting a nice color on the outside...then, either let the foie fras and the pan cool down for a moment or two, or put the whole foie gras into a new pan and cook in the oven at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes....foie gras should not be well done...but it shouldnt be rare....it will be insipid that way...

then let the meat rest, just like any other meat...and slice before serving...i like this method better than searing slices in a pan...also season with salt before; but more importantly, season with fleur de sel prior to serving the slices.

[mklynch]

I know this is controversial, but I helped another chef cook for a catering and he used a George Forman grill to sear the foie. While I was skeptical, it actually worked ok and given the lack of equipment, was really an inventive solution.

The fat drained off and was saved for other uses.

MMMM...foie gras fat!

[Suzanne F]

Actually, I've heard a lot of good things about the George Forman. Not for grilling steaks, but for other stuff. So why not?

[howard88]

I have used the G. Foreman grill in Aventura,Fla when I visit my parents. I cooked skirt steaks and watched all the juices and blood run to the troughs on the side. The skirt tasted great however. What do u do with foies gras fat? I cook it several times a year and throw out the fat.

[Suzanne F]

I cook it several times a year and throw out the fat.

Suzanne's First Rule of Cooking: Never throw out usable* fat of any kind. Fat carries flavor. It can always be used

• to saute other foods
  
• to coat vegetables to be roasted
  
• to sweat mirepoix for braises and soups
  
• to add to foods that need a little extra fat, such as ground meat
  
• to make the roux for a flour-thickened sauce
  

You get the idea. Besides, foie gras fat is a pretty damn expensive item to toss!

*Usable being the operative word here: if it's burnt or otherwise unpleasantly flavored, toss. Otherwise, strain, put away tightly covered, and enjoy!

[Katherine]

What do u do with foies gras fat?  I cook it several times a year and throw out the fat.

Spread it on hot toast. Yum.

[chefseanbrock]

if you are slicing and searing you can see where the veins are after you portion it, they are tiny little bloody red dots, i know it sounds gross but you can blow the veins out, just hold it up to your mouth and blow, the vein will shoot right out......there is nothing worse that finding bloody veins in a delicious piece of gras

[Susan in FL]

First, I was wondering if anybody has a recipe or idea for a savory preparation of foie gras, rather than sweet. We don't have any problem with sweet, but that is what we usually make and usually find when looking for ideas, and would like a change, to use some of the duck foie gras we have. Tonight we had it seared and served over mixed baby greens, with a sauce of reduced Port, mango, papaya, and butter. Delicious.

Next, I really need some advice about making pate' using duck foie gras. I love duck liver pate' and have made it several times with the liver straight from the duck. I would like to make a pate' with the remaining 12 ounces or so of duck foie gras, but I'm afraid the cooking is going to give me a bunch of melted duck fat instead of liver. Any instruction about this will be appreciated.

[chefrodrigo]

I like to take whatever scraps I have left and poach them in stock, for about 45 seconds, just enough to soften it. Then I put it in the food processor with about 1/3 as much butter. They both need to be at room temp before pulsing it in the processor. It makes a great spread on toast with some grainy salt on top.

Rodney

[rslee]

New here, but I hope this helps.

Good idea about the poaching, but I would wrap the foie scraps in pastic wrap and then remove as soon as it gets soft. Let sit at room temp for a little bit. remove from wrap and get some bacon, pancetta if possible, and some finely diced onions. Mix it together in bowl. You can add a little bit of reduced port or some sort of sweet vinegar at then end. Spread it on some toasted french bread.

Just a suggestion...hope it helps.

btw, that would be fleur de sel sprinkled on top.

Edited December 28, 2003 by rslee (log)

[budrichard]

From Pepin 'The Art of cooking Vol 2' page 72:

You need a terrine of suitable size, in your case for 12 oz I would just acquire one of those little Al throw away foil containers. I use a La Cruset mold but that is large enough for two foie.

Season your foie. Put in terrine with an Al foil cover into your oven preheated to 225F in a bath of warm/hot water. Pepin cooks a whole foie for an hour but since you have a small amount go by temp which Pepin says should be 130F. Cool in your fridge overnight and use.

I have used this method many times and it works quite well. Your only problem is the small amount, it is very commen for some of the fat to cook out and surround the foie. I can't tell you how the small amount the you have will work. -Dick

[Susan in FL]

Good advice, all. Thanks. If I go with the poaching, I'll use the plastic wrap.

Welcome, rslee, and thanks! Very helpful.

Ahhh, a cookbook, what a novel idea. In fact, it's a Pepin recipe that is my favorite for a regular duck or goose liver.

I probably have more than 12 ounces left, but before making pate' I wanted to make one more dish, sauteing and serving in a more savory preparation. If I abandon that idea, there will be more to cook for the pate'. I'll report back.

Yes, fleur de sel sprinkled on top.

[budrichard]

A whole pouched foie would not be pate. A pate of foie is generally derived from foie gras that has been mashed and pushed through a sieve to assure a uniform texture before cooking. It is called pate de foie gras. Someitems black truffle bits or liquid are added along with seasonings. Keeping the charachter/texture of the whole foie is desirable to me and that's what i make. I would be careful ona small piece that does not allow for any heat transfer in that you may wind up with fat anyway. Better to eat sliced and sauted.-Dick

[Susan in FL]

Dick, thanks, but I realize that a whole poached foie would not be pate, and I guess I should have mentioned that I sometimes use the terms pate' and mousse and terrine and blocks and etc. interchangeably, even though I know the differences.

I appreciate your advice. That being-careful part is why I am glad to have the advice of all.

[Susan in FL]

Don't ask me exactly what I did, but I poached the small amount of foie gras that was left, using the plastic wrap, and after it cooled, processed it with some butter and a few other pate ingredients we like. It turned out wonderful. Thanks for the advice on cooking the foie gras, for making the recipe.

The more savory preparation I made, before making the pate, was still on the sweet side, but not as sweet as the one on the previous night. The sauce had diced pineapple, shallots, rice vinegar, duck stock, etc. in it, and was reduced and serve with mixed baby greens again, and a pineapple garnish. This one actually went better with the Sauternes... more of a contrast.

[malachi]

Next time, you could consider crusting medallions with Pain D'Espice and pan-frying them. I ripped this off from Chef Hawksworth at West in Vancouver and have had great luck with variations on his dish ranging from slightly sweet (paired with roasted apricots) to full savory (paired with shredded warm duck confit and truffle butter). It goes wonderfully with a Maculan Torcolato di Breganze.

[Susan in FL]

Yum! Interesting, I read one suggestion -- I think it was David Rosengarten's -- of dusting them with Wondra before searing, to form a bit of a crust.

Just the idea of serving it with shredded duck confit and truffle butter... I wish I had heard that earlier! Definitely next time, will do.

[Al_Dente]

My foie gras Christmas soup:

The accompanying Sauternes:

Extra bonus, Roasted Icelandic Leg o Lamb:

The soup was pretty good, but didn't have the depth I was going for. I think I need to reduce my stock a good bit more and perhaps either use more foie or less "soup" next time around.

The Sauternes was absolutely beautiful-- many thanks to the eGullet person who scored it for me and for her connection to the chef who procured the fresh lobes for me AT COST. I had about 7 oz of Hudson Valley for less than $20.

[vengroff]

Soup looks great Al. And that leg of lamb. That looks outstanding.

I've seen Icelandic lamb for sale lately. How does it compare to the New Zealand, Australian, and American versions?