Foie Gras
Foie Gras is definitely served at the beginning of a meal.
Make sure that your palate will appreciate it properly. Avoid a combination with any dish high in acidity, such as a seasoned salad or anything similar.
Foie gras should be placed in a refrigerator some hours before being served, but not in the freezer. A thin and sharp knife or spoon should be used to cut it, dipped into hot water, and wiped before cutting each slice. As a starter, serve between 40 to 60g per person. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before serving.
Chef’s trick
To be able to pay all your attention to your guests, prepare your plate beforehand. After having sliced the Foie Gras, pour on each slice a thin sheet of madeira aspic to avoid oxydation. Back in the refrigerator, the Foie Gras is ready to be served. Do not forget to take this out 15 minutes prior to the meal.
- Do not spread Foie Gras on bread
- Enjoy it with a fork and not with a knife
- Because of the many rich flavours of Foie Gras, you can serve it with many wines, but avoid wines that are either too light or too young.
- Champagne will add some more festivity to the party.
There is not just one type of Foie Gras, but several depending on the mode of cooking which determines the texture and the shelf-life of the finish product.
Raw liver
It should have an attractive colour, an ivory white pink or yellow one, and must be firm but soft to the touch. It should weight between 450-700g for a goose liver, and between 400-500g for a duck liver. They can be kept a week between 1° and 4°C, under paper vacuum packed.
Fresh Foie Gras
They can be kept up to 3 weeks under refrigeration at +2° +4°C. After having the gall-bladder removed, livers are salted, spiced, put in their mould : Pasty Crust – Terrines – Torchon, and slightly cooked. This treatment gives them unequaled delicacy and softness.
Half preserved Foie Gras
Available in jars, tins, or thermo sealed container, they can be kept for several months under refrigeration at +2° +4°C. This type of preparation is the best way to secure product and still keep an irreproachable gustative quality.
Preserved Foie Gras
They can be kept for several years at rooms temperature.These products are getting better through the years and develop their full flavour after one year. Usefully, they can be stored in a cool and dry place without worrying about any refrigeration. Packaging varies.