Fine Fois Gras Sourcing and Cooking

[Miss J]

I am toying with making fois gras terrine for a dinner next week. The minor barriers to doing this I face are:

- I've not tried making it before

- I'm not entirely sure what the best London sources are

Apart from this, I'm dead keen and prepared to potentially destroy some gorgeous raw ingredients in my quest to learn how to make a classic dish. Tips, comments, and advice from your good selves would be appreciated, as always.

[Bapi]

Miss J,

I have tried this dish at the restaurant and it is rather good , but you may find the leek detracts from the "classic" dish you want to make.

Hope it helps though. http://eclipse.usp.net/usp/manoir/recipedb...ORMRecipeID=191

Bapi

[jackal10]

Hot or cold?

here is a basic recipe for a cold terrine: Illustrated Foie Gras recipe

Main thing to remember is that Foie Gras is really just structured fat, with a low melting point. Get it much hotter than 50C and you destroy the texture. There is almost no need to cook at all - you can just clean it, brown the surface (30 secs in a hot pan) then put it in a terrine and weight it.

If you want to embed truffles use the cheapest - they are mostly just decoration. Add the flavour from oil.

Make a sauterne gelly seperately. Foam if you must.

[Jon Tseng]

The chicken place in Borough mkt best - ie where we got it last time.

28 quid a kilo - a 600g one cost me 17 quid on Sat (smallest they had). Split it between 4-6 people and you're looking at about three quid a head (ie similar price to a big mac meal)

Sauteed a couple of slices on Sat night - will probably terrine the rest if i can find the time and a suitable receptacle

A meat thermometer would be good for judging the timing

As an alternative consider frying or roasting it - lower yield but soooo much less hassle

J

Edited April 14, 2003 by Jon Tseng (log)

[Vanessa]

Then why did they quote me £40 a kilo the Saturday before . Didn't buy 'cos I remembered Jon mentioning £28 before.

v

[Jon Tseng]

Was that the whole raw one or the terrine? Think the terrine is pricier.

£40/kg is still reasonable for London - that's the price they do raw at Comptoir Gascon, and the same price I have seen in French supermarches (albeit in a ski resort, so hardly bargain basement)

I think Simon also recommends that butcher on Essex Rd near Steve Hatt - ring ahead and see

J

[sookeharborkid]

You know what the Comptoir Gascon sells great terrine of foie gras.Making a delicious terrine de foie gras could be risky ... because of the actual price and the fragile nature of the thing....

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

If I may be so bold as to chime in....The torchon to me is the best way to eat foie gras. It's easy too, if not a little time consuming because you have to marinate for 24 hours, hang it, poach it, rewrap it, then cool it, slice it etc. But terrines, unless they're made by uberchefs never seem to do it for me. I ate at Le Cirque (boulud's reign)years ago and had an awesome terrine but since then it's been totally hit or miss.

First tried torchon at The French Laundry and fell in love. I made it for a wine dinner shortly there after and it rocked--straight preparation from the book with cherry confiture.

[Vanessa]

Was that the whole raw one or the terrine?  Think the terrine is pricier.

Looked raw to me - whole, in the vacuum pack in the glass display case at the opposite end from the chickens

v

[Miss J]

Thanks everyone - and I'm also particularly grateful that no-one has taken me to task on my spelling. ( )

I'm very interested in trying to make a torchon. Do you guys think it would be okay on its own with toasted brioche & a glass of Sauternes, or should I make a sauce? I know Jon's been known to do some clever things with oranges fried in foie fat, but if I'm poaching I probably won't have any of that to hand.

Edited April 15, 2003 by Miss J (log)

[Chef/Writer Spencer]

Thanks everyone - and I'm also particularly grateful that no-one has taken me to task on my spelling. ( )

I'm very interested in trying to make a torchon. Do you guys think it would be okay on its own with toasted brioche & a glass of Sauternes, or should I make a sauce? I know Jon's been known to do some clever things with oranges fried in foie fat, but if I'm poaching I probably won't have any of that to hand. 

No, you won't have any left over fat. Some simple fruit--pear, fresh cherry-maybe glazed with kirsch simple syrup, nectarines, plums, something like that would be great with some toasted brioche. As involved as the torchon is it doesn't require a technical accompaniment.

[Smoking Bear]

An excellent source for raw foie gras is the Comptoir Gascon. And as Sookeharbourkid mentioned they also sell excellent ready made terrines. But if you want to experiment:

Devein the foie gras=let it come to room temperature open it up gently with your finger or the handle of a spoon, pull out the veins. Reform the lobe and chill.

Marinate or season. With alcohol (eg. Sherry) or seasoning.

Sear quickly. Do not overcook. It should be basically raw.

Put it in a mold and put a weight on it. Chill, and enjoy

[tigerwoman]

Don't know about the London Market, but I just bought some Foie Gras last week for a gig I was catering here in NYC and there were two different grades, hence probably the price differences people were freaking about earlier in the post. I was told that grade B was good enough for terrines and even crostinis, seared. Don't know what grade A tasted like but the Canadian Grade B that I eventually bought wholesale from D'Artagan was about $20 a pound or about 35 quid for a kilo.

We seared it in a very hot pan, placed it on a brioche crostini with fresh pears sauteed in 40 year old cognac and topped with frizzled leeks. What was not to like. Melt in your mouth delicious bites of FAT