Tradition Alsatian foie gras, the liver of force-fed geese, was invented by Jean-Pierre Clause, chef to Marshal Contades, the military governor of Strasbourg from 1762 until 1788. Since the Roman legions arrived in Alsace and began using geese to guard farms, no one has been able to resist foie gras, so meltingly soft and tender that a single bite has been know to make a grown man cry. Cooking tips The foie gras' delicate flavour can be better appreciated when it is steamed or cut into escalope and sauté without any fat in a sauté pan; being careful that it do not discolour, which will make it bitter. Cook until still slightly pink inside. Never overcooked. Suggestion The crisp and juicy muscat grape can stand up to relatively quick, hot cooking. Sautéed in butter, it can deglaze the pan when cooking a slice of foie gras with a little glass of Sauternes Foie Gras "Tatin" A favourite recipe enjoyed at Au Fil de l'Eau, a bistro on the Dronne River in Brantôme, Périgord Preparation time: 20 minutes Oven temperature: 180° C (350° F) Cooking time: 45 minutes Cost: Reasonable Difficulty: Relatively easy Ingredients for 4 people 8 slices of foie gras Puff pastry 4 to 6 apples Butter A pinch of sugar A pinch of fleur de sel or sea salt Sauce 250 g (8 oz.) honey 1 litre (4 cups) veal stock 1 tsp. sherry vinegar Preparation 1 - Tarte Tatin Peel the apples; remove the cores and slice thinly; Sauté the apples in butter until they are cooked, adding a pinch of sugar to caramelize them slightly; roll out the puff pastry and cut out 4 disks about the size of a saucer; cover each disk with apple slices arranged in a rosette and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the pastry is puffed and baked. Preparation 2 - the sauce Meanwhile, pour the honey into the pan that you used to cook the apples; once it comes to a boil, add the veal stock and sherry vinegar; let reduce by half over low heat until the sauce is thick enough to coat a spoon; gradually whisk in some small pieces of cold butter. Preparation 3 - cooking the foie gras and finishing the dish Cook the foie gras slices in a very hot ungreased skillet: sear for 30 seconds on each side on high heat and 3 minutes on medium heat; sprinkle lightly with fleur de sel; place two slices on each individual "Tarte Tatin"; spoon some of the sauce over top and serve immediately. The Worldwide Gourmet Wood-Grilled Fresh Foie Gras with Caramelized Fall Fruits and Port Reduction Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: Under 30 minutes Cost: Somewhat expensive Difficulty: Relatively easy Ingredients for 4 people 500 g (1 lb.) lobe of fresh foie gras 2 pears 2 royal gala apples 2 figs 4 small bunches of white grapes (5 or 6 raisins per bunch) 4 small bunches of purple grapes (5 or 6 grapes per bunch) 50 g (2 oz.) duck fat 20 g (4 tsp.) sugar Guérande sea salt Cracked black pepper 400 ml (1-1/2 cups) port Preparation Slice the lobe of foie gras into four nice escalopes; set aside in a cool place. Peel and seed the apples and pears; cut into wedges. Cut the figs into quarters. Peel the grapes, being careful to leave them attached to the stem. Melt the duck fat in a sauté pan; sauté the apple and pear wedges; add the grape bunches, and finally the quartered figs. Let cook, stirring often and gently. The fruit juices will caramelize. Sprinkle with sugar at the last minute. Over low heat, reduce the port by three quarters to obtain a syrupy reduction. Season the escalopes of foie gras with salt and pepper. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side over a wood fire (containing some vine branches if possible.) Once the foie gras is cooked, place the escalopes onto paper towels. Arranging the dish Attractively arrange the roasted fruits at the top of each plate, followed by an escalope of foie gras. Add a little Guérande salt and cracked pepper to the foie gras. Spoon the hot port sauce over top. Serve immediately. The Worldwide Gourmet Seared Duck Foie Gras with Walnut Toast and Melted Tangerines 1lb. Duck Foie Gras "A" Grade 8 walnut bread slices - toasted 1 bunch endive 2 tangerines ripe, sweet and juicy - segmented 2 cup sweet white wine 1 shallot - finely chopped 1/2oz butterSalt and white pepper The Sauce: Sauté shallot in butter until softened. Add wine and tangerines and reduce until the sauce begins to thicken. Remove from heat. Salt and pepper to taste. Set aside. The Foie Gras: Cut Foie Gras in 1 inch thick slices. Lightly salt Foie Gras. Place in very hot skillet over high heat. Cook for about 1 minute and turn over. Finish cooking and remove from pan. Immediately place Foie gras on walnut toast. Serve on plate with endive spooning tangerines over Foie gras. Serve with glass of chilled Sauterne. Bon Appetit! (Compliments of Grimaud Farms) Home / Mission Statement / Our Products / Sales Locations New Products / Great Recipes / News / Contact Us © www.lamaisondugibier.com All Rights Reserved.. La Maison du Gibier 2002 info@lamaisondugibier.com