Do you like foie gras? Be honest, don't tell me what you think I might want to hear. I love it of course. For me, it is decadence personified and when I get the chance to feature it on a special menu I know I will get a little feast for myself and the adventurous members of my team...yum, yum.
I have sampled it as a pâté, a torchon, cured, pan sautéed, mousse and as a component of a dish. Each unique preparation method brings about a series of different responses from yours truly...all of them involve sighing and wine. Just saying. I can almost be greedy about the organ too. If people are looking to order my creation I hope they appreciate what they are getting. Not just the cost, which is exorbitant, but the effort that goes into bringing that piece of fatty heaven to you. If they don't or worse turn up their nose to the very idea of eating liver, I don't want to let them near it....it's mine, all mine. Bring some bread and a crusty baguette and I will share...gladly. But those other people...uhm GFY
I believe it was the millennium. That hyped non event known as Y2K, where we bought generators for the impending power outages and a certain percentage of the population was sure it was rapture time. Get a grip. So, being a crazy chef and entrepreneur we put out a nice spread for New Years Eve that night. An early seating for the people that wanted to be in bed before 10:00 or had other plans and a later seating for those that wished to be bringing in the new year with my food in front of them surrounded bu freinds. In my humble opinion, I out did myself that night. Both seatings were executed flawlessly and kudos and cash rolled in. On the menu was an appetiser of pan seared foie gras with port, black eyed peas vinaigrette and a Riesling drizzle. Yum ,yum. Now, I knew for sure that the foie gras wasn't going to be my big seller that night and I was quite ok with that. Because I knew that I would get to eat the foie gras over the next few days....indeed, I think Scott came over the next morning and we had some for breakfast. Yum, yum.
When searing the foie gras it becomes your centre of the universe while it is cooking away. Turn your back for a second too long and you have a hot melted pool of duck fat for your effort as said foie gras melts away. You have to focus. And you have to think about the plate composition. The foie is fatty, very fatty. You need something sharp or acidic to cut against that a bit....in comes the bean salad. Which also provides a texture contrast to the velvety smoothness of the the liver. A third flavour profile comes from the wine. A reduced syrup with some added sugar to help with the body of the sauce to perk up your taste buds as you take that first bite. Yum, yum. Bring it all together for a delicious and harmonious dish...which I'm not sharing if you're not worthy. True story - when I was younger I would say things like they don't deserve this kind of food when I was particularly pleased with my creation. I know right....smart ass
So my ode to foie gras brings me to the next morning, sitting over a hot skillet sopping up fatty remnants of the seared foie gras with some excellent french baguette, a glass of wine and wondering why the world didn't blow up or my toaster for that fact. My trifecta of perfection - good food, good wine and good friends. Yum, yum.
Ciao
D
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