Foie gras: a dish worthy of kings at home

A little history of the origin of the dish

The dish has its own history. At the end of the 19th century, it was invented and served by the eminent chef of the Marshal of France, the Marquis de Cotado. Very quickly, the luxurious dish became popular at the court of King Louis XVI and was recognized as one of the famous masterpieces of French cuisine.

Ancient recipes for preparing dishes from the liver of waterfowl have appeared in cookbooks since about the 4th century. Even in Ancient Egypt, cooks noticed that the liver of birds before wintering was especially fatty, and its taste was distinguished by a peculiar tenderness.

By the end of the 20th century, France began to produce foie gras on an industrial scale. Initially, in the first recipe, only goose liver was used. Later, it was quite successfully replaced with duck, since raising geese was more expensive. For this purpose, a special breed of hybrid ducks called mulards was bred.

Production

Since the original recipe for this savory delicacy required the liver of fattened geese to be fatty, a special method of fattening ducks and geese was used for industrial production. In the first month of life, chicks develop naturally, according to their nature. For the next month of life, they are placed in special cages designed in such a way that the bird's movement is limited.

They are fed special protein-containing food, balanced in such a way that it promotes rapid weight gain. The diet includes corn, figs, and nuts.

This feeding makes the taste especially tender and creamy. Next, for two to three weeks, the bird is transferred to force feeding, the so-called “gavage” method. Here a special tube is used, with the help of which the grain is forcibly pushed directly into the esophagus, the bird receives approximately several times more grain than normal. This makes it possible to enlarge the organ by about ten times its natural size.

This method makes it possible to obtain especially fatty liver, which is required for production all year round, regardless of the season of the bird’s natural fat gain.

Animal activists actively oppose this cruelty to living beings.

How much does the dish cost?

Perhaps the time when a dish was considered worthy only of the elite has passed. And today, anyone who wants to enjoy the famous delicacy can afford it, since there are offers with prices that are quite affordable.

The price depends on the composition of the product, the manufacturer, the weight of the packaging and other things.

Offers start from 1150 rubles (duck foie gras, made in France, 80g), goose liver from 1600 rubles for 75 g, whole goose liver 180 g - from 4000 rubles, whole goose liver with truffle - from 6000 rubles.

Good restaurants in Moscow serve foie gras prepared by a skilled chef, and each dish has its own twist in the recipe.

Prices per serving can range from 700 rubles to 5,000 rubles, it all depends on the level of the restaurant. If the dish is made to order from the chef himself, then it will cost an order of magnitude more.

In France, since the dish is recognized as the country's heritage, every tourist dreams of taking with them the feeling of the taste of real signature foie gras, so there are many who want to try it.

Liver is sold in restaurants, small and large, in shops, on small and large farms.

The most budget option is pate with the addition of apples, mushrooms and wine. It can be purchased for about 30 euros per kg. When it comes to natural goose liver, it is more expensive; the price is negotiated on the spot, directly at the farm.

What kind of foie gras is there?

Foie gras is a product with many faces, just like the delicacies made from it. The first difference between the varieties of foie gras is that different types of birds can be used to obtain it. Most of the foie gras produced in France is duck, while Hungarians prefer foie gras. By the way, the bulk of foie gras produced in Hungary is exported to France.

There are also different serving options: cold (cooked but chilled) and hot (fried just before serving). Both are delicious, perhaps the second option allows you to better appreciate the texture, but the first is “lighter” and more understandable, since it resembles an incredibly delicate pate.

Finally, there are classifications of foie gras according to the method of preparation and the amount of product used. In France, for example, the following designations are used:

• Foie gras entier - whole foie gras made from one or two whole lobes of the liver, can be cuit (fully cooked), mi-cuit (half cooked), or frais (raw). However, raw foie gras in France is considered a seasonal product and is actively sold only before Christmas; during the rest of the year it can not be bought everywhere and is mainly frozen.
• Foie gras is a product made from pieces of foie gras molded together.
• Bloc de foie gras is a fully cooked block that contains 98% or more foie gras. If the packaging states avec morceaux (“with pieces”), the content of foie gras pieces must be at least 50% for foie gras and 30% for duck.
• Pâté de foie gras is a pate containing at least 50% foie gras.
• Mousse de foie gras is a mousse containing at least 50% foie gras.
• Parfait de foie gras - parfait containing at least 75% foie gras.

You may also come across other names, but the content of foie gras in them is not regulated by law.

Whole foie gras terrine

How to choose the right product for a dish

Liver for foie gras can be fresh, raw, semi-finished in vacuum packaging or in the form of canned food.
And also in frozen form. If we choose a fresh organ, it is very important that it is elastic, uniform in texture, shiny and uniform in color. If it is a canned product, then pay attention to the expiration date. Defrost frozen immediately before cooking. This famous dish can be prepared independently in your home kitchen. At the same time, there are various recipe options.

Homemade foie gras

The recipe is easy to prepare, and the taste of the dish is very spicy and original. Cognac or Madeira can be replaced with any fortified wine, it will still be very tasty. And instead of truffles, everyone uses porcini mushrooms perfectly.

Ingredients:

• fresh and fatty liver (duck or goose) - 0.8 kg;
• cognac (can be replaced with Madeira) – 250 g;
• mushrooms (preferably white), according to the original recipe - truffles, 2 pcs.;
• salt and seasonings - to taste; various herbs are used for seasonings.

The organ is filled with cognac, salt and seasonings are added to suit the taste of the hostess. Then everything is left in the refrigerator until the morning.

After this, we move on to the second stage: add chopped fresh mushrooms to the liver, and everything is ground, then transferred to a special mold, leveled and baked in the oven for about an hour. Served chilled.

How to cook the French delicacy Foie gras according to a step-by-step recipe with photos

Ingredients

Step-by-step recipe for cooking Foie gras with photos

1. Preparing the liver. The offal (100 g) must be cooled well, cut into small pieces and put back in the refrigerator. For this procedure, it is recommended to use a hot knife, as it cuts such a product much better.
2. Cooking apples with prunes. Wash the sweet dessert apple (1 pc.) well, cut into 4 parts, remove the core and cut into small pieces.
3. Prunes (3 pcs.) need to be washed well. To do this, you first need to fill it with hot water for 5 minutes, then rinse it under the tap. Next cut into small pieces.
4. Place 1 tbsp in a preheated saucepan (small saucepan). l. butter and apples, mix well, add 1 tsp. sugar and chopped prunes. Simmer everything for 1-2 minutes. and then pour in 30 ml of white wine. You need to simmer the contents of the saucepan until half of the wine has evaporated and you have a caramel mass.
5. Preparing the wine sauce. In a small saucepan, heated on the stove, pour 50 ml of red wine, 1 tsp. sugar and bring everything to the consistency of syrup, constantly stirring the contents of the pan. This is done so that the sauce has a richer taste. Then add 100 ml of unsalted chicken broth and continue to brew the sauce until half of the broth has evaporated. As soon as this happens, you need to add 1 tbsp. l. butter, remove from heat and whisk. Any dry white wine is suitable for cooking, but it is advisable to take red wine with a mild taste, which can emphasize the taste of the other ingredients and not overwhelm them. For example, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon or Pinot Noir.
6. Preparation of offal. Well-chilled pieces must be coated with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the prepared pieces into a very hot frying pan. There is no need to lubricate with sunflower oil, because this offal is very fatty and this is enough for frying. You need to fry it on both sides until golden brown, about 1 minute. Thanks to such a sharp temperature change, it will turn out very tender and soft.
7. Final preparation. Place apples and prunes on a plate (if they have cooled down, you should warm them up). You can also use a ring to make a fruit tart. Place a couple of pieces of fried liver on top and garnish the whole thing with wine sauce. This exquisite and unusual type of serving will not leave your guests indifferent.

Bon appetit!

Fried

The simplest and fastest recipe. But, regardless of this, the dish is very tasty and nutritious.

Ingredients:

• fresh green salad leaves;
• duck or goose liver;
• a mixture of peppers, white and black, herbs to taste, Provençal ones work well.

Before you start cooking, marinate the liver in cream with the addition of herbs and a mixture of peppers. It is important not to overuse herbs so that they do not clog the main taste. Place in the refrigerator for a while, about a couple of hours.

Then we cut it, having previously cleared it of films, into longitudinal slices. Quickly fry it in a non-stick frying pan. Cooks quickly, 1.5 -2 minutes on each side.

We beautifully lay out the lettuce leaves on a flat dish, place the liver itself on top and invite everyone to try the delicacy.

What is foie gras?

“Foie gras” or “foie gras” is a translation from the French foie gras, which translates as “fat liver”. To be even more precise - “fatty liver”, because as soon as an internal organ becomes food, according to the rules of the Russian language, it immediately turns from liver to liver. However, foie gras is not called any liver, but only the liver of ducks or geese that have been subjected to special forced fattening. The fact is that the lifestyle of waterfowl contributes to the fact that excess fat deposits accumulate in the liver: as a result of such fattening, it can grow several times. Of course, the uninitiated often compare this effect with cirrhosis, which is incorrect: if for some reason the bird is stopped being fed, its liver will return to normal.

Uncooked foie gras

These manipulations have primarily a culinary meaning. Since the liver grows from fat, it will end up with the extremely delicate taste and texture that this is all about. The ancient Egyptians were the first to pay attention to such properties of the liver of waterfowl: archaeological finds indicate that force-feeding technologies are at least 4.5 thousand years old. The initiative of the hospitable Egyptians was enjoyed no less by the ancient Greeks, from whom the most famous gourmets of antiquity, the Romans, adopted it. Several recipes for preparing “fig liver” (emphasis on the first syllable) are given by Caelius Apicius, the author of the main cookbook of antiquity.

With the onset of the Middle Ages, the technology for making foie gras was forgotten for several centuries, after which it suddenly resurfaced in northern France and Alsace. The fact is that the only type of cooking fat in this region was butter. As you know, kashrut rules prohibit mixing meat and dairy products, which is why Jews who came here found themselves in a culinary impasse. Ancient Egyptian technology became the salvation. At first it was used to produce large quantities of cheap fat, which was rendered from the liver to cook with. Then some smart guy realized that such liver was delicious on its own, and the ancient Roman delicacy suddenly became a gastronomic hit in the Jewish quarters of Strasbourg and Metz.

Gradually, foie gras spread beyond Alsace and entered Hungary, where fatty goose liver successfully fit into the Hungarian culinary tradition, becoming a local specialty. Globalization has contributed to the introduction of foie gras to the rest of the world, but this product has not become universal: France still produces more than 75% of the global volume of “fatty liver”, another 8% is produced by Hungary, and Bulgaria is breathing down its neck (unexpectedly!) , and the rest of the world accounts for about another 5%.

An invention that revolutionized the world of cooking is also associated with foie gras: sous vide. The fact is that the standard method of preparing foie gras led to the loss of a large amount of product - fat was actively rendered from the liver, and all the chefs who worked with this delicacy were looking for a way to reduce these losses. The solution was found by Georges Pralu, the chef of the Troisgros restaurant in the French city of Roanne. He decided to pack the foie gras in a vacuum bag (in the 80s this technology was already actively used in the Western food industry) and cooked it at a low temperature. The experiment was a success, and what a success: it turned out that foie gras not only loses much less weight, but also acquires a more delicate consistency.

Roasted foie gras with apple chutney

Pickled

Marinated liver has a very piquant taste, it remains juicy after frying and cooks quickly. At the same time, the recipe is as simple as possible.

Products you will need:

• alcohol for marinade (cognac, wine, original can be marinated in grape chacha) about 5 liters;
• fresh mushrooms, truffles are best, white ones are fine – 2 pcs.;
• the liver itself, goose or duck - 600 g;
• ground nutmeg;
• other herbs, salt.

We wash the organ and clear it of films, then stuff it with chopped mushrooms. Marinate in salt and seasonings and pour in alcohol. It can marinate for about a day. Fry quickly, two minutes on each side.

Liver pate in tartlets

Prepare:

• 10 pcs tartlets;
• 0.5 kg of liver;
• 0.2 kg butter;
• small onion;
• 80 ml dry wine;
• a clove of garlic;
• 5 g khmeli-suneli;
• 5 g ground cloves;
• 10 grams of table salt;
• 5 g ground red pepper;
• 20 ml sunflower oil.

Preparation

1. Place a saucepan on the stove, pour water into it and add the cleaned and prepared chicken liver. Boil for 6-8 minutes.
2. Heat a frying pan with oil.
3. Peel the onion, chop it finely and put it in a frying pan. Add peeled and chopped garlic here.
4. After a minute, add chicken liver without broth. Mix and add all the spices and wine. Simmer for seven to eight minutes.
5. Transfer the contents into a blender bowl, add a little melted butter and beat vigorously. To make the pate more “lush”, add a little broth.

As soon as the pate has cooled, transfer it to a pastry bag and use it to distribute it among the tartlets.

Check out a very tasty recipe for cooking poultry liver in a fat mesh over grill coals - an incredible dish!

In fresh grapes

If you want something unusual and original, you can cook it with fresh fruits or berries; the original recipe is liver and grapes.

Ingredients:

• fresh goose fat – 100 g;
• fresh grapes -150 g;
• duck or goose liver – 400 g;
• sauce, salt, pepper.

We wash and clean the organ from films.
Then it is salted and peppered to taste, cut into large cubes and fried in a frying pan with preheated goose fat, mixed with grapes.

Grapes serve as a marinade here, instead of traditional alcohol.

Prepares quickly, about 2-3 minutes. When serving, you can top it with sauce to taste. Creamy and

cranberry.

Sauces for foie gras. Three different sauces to complement the delicacy.

Sauces for foie gras are especially popular and easy to prepare. Three different sauces to complement the delicacy to taste. I would even say that they highlight the unique taste of the foie gras appetizer. Don't even try to serve the dish with regular gravies. For example, sauces made from mayonnaise or ketchup. Completely ruin the product.

Sauce made from berry juice and berries.

To prepare Sauce from berry juice and berries, we purchase:

- balsamic vinegar (100 milliliters).

- juice from berries (100 milliliters).

- granulated sugar (2 tablespoons).

- blackberries (150 grams).

- raspberries (150 grams).

Procedure.

- Melt granulated sugar in a saucepan over low heat.

- as soon as the sugar melt has acquired a light brown tint, pour in balsamic vinegar and berry juice.

- stir.

- Boil over low heat.

- if the mass begins to reach for a tablespoon, immediately add the berries.

- stir.

- boil for 1 minute.

- turn off the fire.

- let it cool.

- water the foie gras.

Caramel sauce. Sauces for foie gras.

To prepare caramel sauce, we purchase:

- white grapes (200 grams).

- granulated sugar (1 tablespoon).

- port wine (100 milliliters).

- a set of fruits and berries, for example, grapes, strawberries and pears (about 300 grams).

Procedure.

- First, squeeze the juice out of the grapes. By any available means.

- Melt granulated sugar in a saucepan until it turns into caramel.

- Without turning off the heat, pour port wine into the caramel. To avoid splashing, pour in a thin stream along the side of the saucepan.

- stir.

- Boil for a couple of minutes.

- as soon as the smell of alcohol stops, pour in grape juice.

- Boil slowly for 4-5 minutes until the sauce thickens.

- cut fruits and berries, remove seeds.

- if the sauce has reached the desired thickness, add fruits and berries to it.

— so that all the components of the sauce are combined, boil for 2-3 minutes.

- cool.

- Serve with foie gras.

Applesauce.

To prepare apple sauce, we purchase:

- fresh apples (2-3 pieces).

- bee honey (1 tablespoon).

- soy sauce (1 tablespoon or to taste).

Procedure.

- wash fresh apples.

- cut into four parts.

- remove the seed pods.

— pass the apples through a juicer to get juice with pulp.

— pour apple juice, soy sauce and bee honey into a saucepan.

- Boil over low heat.

- Stir occasionally so that the sauce does not burn.

- As soon as the sauce has thickened, remove it from the stove.

- let it cool.

- water the delicacy.

Dinner is served! Sauces for foie gras. Three different sauces to complement the delicacy.

Salted mackerel pate is offered. We use eggs, cottage cheese and garlic.

In minced pork with bacon

This recipe may seem a little complicated. But if you cook it according to all the rules, the taste of this dish is worth it. Guests and everyone at home will be able to appreciate it.

Ingredients:

• milk for marinade - 0.5 liters;
• mushrooms (preferably white) 200 g;
• lard or bacon 50 g;
• duck or goose liver 600 – 700 g;
• minced pork – 500 g;
• cognac or wine for marinade – 200 g.

Before cooking, the organ is usually soaked in milk for several hours. Of course, before this it is washed and freed from films and veins. Add finely chopped mushrooms. We will stuff the organ with them.

Then we place it in a cognac or wine marinade for another two hours.

The next step is to place a layer of minced meat in a baking dish. The liver with mushrooms is placed on it. Thin pieces of lard or bacon are laid on top of them, then the cognac remaining from the marinade is poured.

The mold is covered with foil on top and baked for about an hour and a half in the oven. The water bath principle must be used. Served cold.

Recipe for “Chicken liver in foie gras style”:

We clean the chicken liver from films and fat and wash it. We don't cut!

Take a large bowl, pour water, put a smaller bowl in it, put butter in it.

When the water in a large bowl boils, put the liver into the melted butter, about a third of the total amount, you want it to be completely covered with butter. Cover with a lid and simmer the liver in a water bath for 30 minutes (from the water boiling). The water in the large bowl should be above the level of the liver with the oil in the small bowl. After half an hour, remove the liver with a slotted spoon and add the next portion to the same oil.

While the liver is cooking, mix balsamic vinegar and honey.

Pour two tablespoons of wine into the gelatin, so it has already swollen. I used a rich wine, like Cabernet...

The liver is tired, now we beat everything in a blender or processor - liver, balsamic vinegar with honey, swollen gelatin, salt, freshly ground pepper, wine and melted butter (carefully collect it with a spoon from the surface of the liquid remaining in a small bowl). Leave 4-5 tablespoons of oil, we will need them later.

Here's the whipped pate. Let’s try it, maybe we need to add more salt...

Then we put the pate into small jars, for this amount of product I use 4 jars with a capacity of 250 ml, leave about 3 cm to the top, pour in a tablespoon of melted butter. The pate will rise a little, so don’t fill the jars to the very top. Place the jars in hot water, cover with lids, and sterilize for 25-30 minutes. from boiling water. Leave to cool in the same water, closing the lids tightly. Place in the refrigerator for 48 hours.

This pate can be stored in the refrigerator for quite a long time. It can be prepared in advance for a feast, and in general it is a wonderful appetizer - a lifesaver just in case...

Well, let's try it already... Spread the pate on a toasted slice of white bread, take some kind of fruit and berry sauce (I used cranberry)...

and let's have a little fun...

Regular pate

The recipe is quite simple, it is similar to pate from any other liver.

It is not difficult to prepare, the dish is practical, it can be prepared quite often, because it is great for breakfast.

Ingredients:

• goose fat;
• duck or goose liver;
• a mixture of peppers, dried herbs, salt;
• one large onion.

Melt the goose fat in a frying pan and fry the coarsely chopped onion until golden brown. Liver sprinkled with seasonings is also added there. Herbs of Provence are very suitable. Everything is fried together for about two minutes. Next, all this is crushed in a blender and cooled in the refrigerator. Our pate is ready.

Perfect with hot toast.

Step-by-step classic recipe

Although the preparation of this masterpiece of French cuisine is the prerogative of experienced chefs, if desired, an inexperienced housewife can prepare it.

Products needed for our future masterpiece:

• pork loin – 300 g;
• goose or duck liver – 700 g;
• fresh pork lard – 200 g;
• fresh goose fat – 250g;
• goose or duck liver for minced meat - 120g;
• mushrooms (ceps or truffles) – 2 pcs.;
• cognac or madeira – 200 g.

Seasonings: white pepper, ground nutmeg, salt.

Before you start preparing the liver, immerse it in milk to soak. We leave it in the refrigerator for several hours, maybe until the morning.

Stuff the soaked liver with chopped mushrooms, pepper, salt, and sprinkle with nutmeg. Let marinate in wine or cognac for about 3 hours.

We make minced pork fillet, and part of the liver goes into the minced meat. Place the minced meat on the bottom and sides in a special baking dish. Place the liver on top and cover it with the remaining minced meat. Cover with thin strips of lard. Cover the pan with foil and bake in the oven, placing the pan with the liver in a water bath.

We calculate the baking time: for 1 kg of food – half an hour. According to our recipe - about 1.5 hours.

At the end of the process, when the dish is ready, cool it and pour melted goose fat over it.

If you take into account the recommendations of the traditional recipe, then the dish is left to stand for 2 days before serving.

Recipe for goose liver with mushrooms

Foie gras (the serving can be changed in your own way) from goose liver with mushrooms has become the most successful combination in the opinion of French chefs.
Cooking products:

• goose liver – 400 g;
• veal – 300 g;
• chicken fillet – 300 g;
• 3 eggs;
• porcini mushrooms – 300 g;
• butter – 150 g;
• salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste.

Recipe:

1. The onion is chopped into cubes, and the veal into small slices.
2. Mushrooms are fried until golden.
3. Veal and onions are fried in a quarter of butter, and pre-fried mushrooms are added to them.
4. The fire is extinguished and the eggs are released into the pan. A kind of scrambled egg is broken through with a blender.
5. In the second quarter of oil, the onions and liver turn golden. The ingredients are also minced in a meat grinder.
6. The mass is salted, peppered and seasoned with nutmeg.
7. Chicken fillet with onions is fried in another ¼ oil and also ground.
8. The baking dish is coated with oil, and “pates” are laid out in layers. 1st layer is liver, 2nd layer is chicken, and 3rd layer is mushroom. The last layer should be the liver layer.
9. The workpiece remains at rest under pressure for 3 hours.
10. After this, the pressure is removed, the mass is filled with the remaining oil, and placed in the refrigerator for a day.

The dish is served cold with apple puree, arugula, pickled pear or chestnut puree.

Beautifully served, emphasizing aristocracy

So, you have decided to surprise your guests with your culinary art. The question arises: how to adequately present the famous pate?

If it is foie gras from a can, then it is served chilled and cut into portioned slices, about a centimeter wide. Slice it immediately before serving so that the dish does not dry out and lose its aroma.

To cut more evenly, warm up the slicing knife by immersing it in hot water. The taste of this delicacy is best combined with a white French loaf, hot toasted bread and white dessert wine.

The pate itself is not spread on bread, but placed in slices.

For special gourmets, fig sauce is served. Fruit sauces are sweet and sour. They perfectly complement the taste of liver and give it an accentuated piquancy.

In addition, baked apples combine with the taste of foie gras.

Fried mushrooms will perfectly complement the pate.

In France, it is customary to serve roasted chestnuts.

There are some subtleties that are worth knowing when preparing a festive table with a French delicacy:

1. Considering that this wonderful pate is especially tender, it is traditionally served chilled.
2. No less popular and widespread duck liver dishes have a slightly coarser taste, so they are best served as a main dish.
3. As a separate dish, you can serve sandwiches made from white bread and pate, decorated with herbs and lemon slices.
4. Raw vegetables, salads and salted vegetables are perfect.

Serving foie gras on the festive table has become a good tradition in European countries. Perhaps not a single Christmas table is complete without this famous delicacy.

For a certain time in France, foie gras was served at the end of the meal along with truffles, emphasizing the sophistication. Gradually taste preferences changed. Oversaturation has gone out of fashion. Old traditions are being replaced by new trends that dictate healthier eating. And now the liver is great served with baked pumpkin and green onions. Or just a pate and a loaf, so as not to interrupt the subtlety of taste.

Collection wines, red and white, are an excellent addition. Various fruit sauces and jellies are added; their sweet and sour taste is always welcome.