Foie Gras - Why doesn't it taste the same?
Jan 22nd, 2007, 07:03 AM
#21
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Like St Cirq, I have purchased both fresh & mi cuit Foie Gras in French stores many times. Several vendors at the St Cyprien Sunday morning market in the Dordogne sell it. We've stayed in a Gite in the Var (Riveria) several times, and there was a foie gras producer just down the road about 100 yds from us. We've purchased mi cuit from him several times.
All the foie gras I've ever purchased that was not in a can, has been great. On our first gite stay in the Dordogne, I bought some canned stuff in Sarlat & St Cyprien & it was much inferior to the mi cuit. I once purchased some in a jar from a seasonal street market vendor in Paris (15 arr), and it was awful - in fact, I stopped eating it after a few bites.
My local grocer (Draegers), sells a slice of mi cuit for $20. They also sell a frozen raw foie gras lobe for about $70 (I think). A local French foods importer sells the fresh (un frozen) foie gras also - they are having a "sale" this Fri & Sat, & if my wife isn't looking I might purchase some then. I've make mi-cuit at home several times & using different recipes. I've also sauteed the raw foie gras, but I prefer the mi cuit myself. The stuff I purchase & prepare at home is excellent - perhaps 85% as good as the stuff in France & much better than the cans, which I gave up on 10 years ago when I discovered mi cuit.
Stu Dudley
All the foie gras I've ever purchased that was not in a can, has been great. On our first gite stay in the Dordogne, I bought some canned stuff in Sarlat & St Cyprien & it was much inferior to the mi cuit. I once purchased some in a jar from a seasonal street market vendor in Paris (15 arr), and it was awful - in fact, I stopped eating it after a few bites.
My local grocer (Draegers), sells a slice of mi cuit for $20. They also sell a frozen raw foie gras lobe for about $70 (I think). A local French foods importer sells the fresh (un frozen) foie gras also - they are having a "sale" this Fri & Sat, & if my wife isn't looking I might purchase some then. I've make mi-cuit at home several times & using different recipes. I've also sauteed the raw foie gras, but I prefer the mi cuit myself. The stuff I purchase & prepare at home is excellent - perhaps 85% as good as the stuff in France & much better than the cans, which I gave up on 10 years ago when I discovered mi cuit.
Stu Dudley
Jan 22nd, 2007, 07:48 AM
#23
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StuDudley,
Do you use a similar recipe:
1/ Peser le foie (très important pour la suite).
2/ Faire tremper le rouleau de gaze dans de l'armagnac puis essorer en pressant à la main.
Saler et poivrer le foie.
3/ Emmailloter complètement le foie.
4/ Mettre le foie emmailloté dans un saladier et le couvrir de gros sel ; le foie doit totalement être en contact avec le gros sel (le sel va cuire le foie).
5/ Laisser dans le gros sel à raison de deux heures par 100 g de foie (12 heures pour un foie de 600 g).
6/ Passer ce temps, sortir le foie du gros sel, retirer la gaze et laisser au frigo 48 heures.
Pour finir ... A déguster avec un vin blanc moelleux (pacherenc de vic bilh par exemple...).
Do you use a similar recipe:
1/ Peser le foie (très important pour la suite).
2/ Faire tremper le rouleau de gaze dans de l'armagnac puis essorer en pressant à la main.
Saler et poivrer le foie.
3/ Emmailloter complètement le foie.
4/ Mettre le foie emmailloté dans un saladier et le couvrir de gros sel ; le foie doit totalement être en contact avec le gros sel (le sel va cuire le foie).
5/ Laisser dans le gros sel à raison de deux heures par 100 g de foie (12 heures pour un foie de 600 g).
6/ Passer ce temps, sortir le foie du gros sel, retirer la gaze et laisser au frigo 48 heures.
Pour finir ... A déguster avec un vin blanc moelleux (pacherenc de vic bilh par exemple...).
Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:00 AM
#24
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Sorry, I don't read French - my wife is proficient in it, but she's not here now.
I have prepared it in 2 different ways.
Clean the lobes by splitting it & pulling out all the blood vessels, & veinlike connective tissues.
Method 1 - poached in Sweet Wine
-Put lobe in a dish & cover with 2/3 C sweet wine. Salt, white pepper & cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrig for 6 hrs, turning often.
-Remove lobe, & wrap in cheese cloth - forming a "log". Tie log to form a piece 7-8 inches long & 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
-In a pan large enough to hold the lobe, combine 7 C of veal stock, the marinade, and 1 C more of the sweet wine. More S & P.
- Bring to boil, and genly drop the foie gras & poach till tender - 4 to 5 mins.
-fill a bowl with ice & a little water. Drop cooked foie gras in ice & cover with ice. Cool it for 1 minute
-Place cooked foie gras in a rectangular terrine. Put cooking liquid on the ice & chill for about 15 mins.
-Pour cooled cooking liquid over foie gras in terrine
-Cover & refrigirate for 2-3 days.
-to serve, remove cheese cloth & slice with knife which has been warmed by running it under hot water between slices.
method 2
-Sprinkle cleaned foie gras with mixture of 3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ciniamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, & 1/4 tsp allspice
-line 1 lb loaf pay with Saran wrap & force liver into pan. Sprinkle sweet wine of choice over liver & gathar up plastic wrap & envelope lobe.
-place identical loaf pan over liver & weigh down.
-place pan in water bath & cook in 300 degree oven for 25 mins, or until it reaches internal temp of 100 degrees.
-remove pan & invert on rimmed plate to allow yellow gras fat to run out.
-turn upright, and replace weighted pan on top of liver to press down. Put in refrig & keep overnight.
I have had more success with the first method
Stu Dudley
I have prepared it in 2 different ways.
Clean the lobes by splitting it & pulling out all the blood vessels, & veinlike connective tissues.
Method 1 - poached in Sweet Wine
-Put lobe in a dish & cover with 2/3 C sweet wine. Salt, white pepper & cover with plastic wrap. Put in refrig for 6 hrs, turning often.
-Remove lobe, & wrap in cheese cloth - forming a "log". Tie log to form a piece 7-8 inches long & 2 to 2 1/2 inches in diameter.
-In a pan large enough to hold the lobe, combine 7 C of veal stock, the marinade, and 1 C more of the sweet wine. More S & P.
- Bring to boil, and genly drop the foie gras & poach till tender - 4 to 5 mins.
-fill a bowl with ice & a little water. Drop cooked foie gras in ice & cover with ice. Cool it for 1 minute
-Place cooked foie gras in a rectangular terrine. Put cooking liquid on the ice & chill for about 15 mins.
-Pour cooled cooking liquid over foie gras in terrine
-Cover & refrigirate for 2-3 days.
-to serve, remove cheese cloth & slice with knife which has been warmed by running it under hot water between slices.
method 2
-Sprinkle cleaned foie gras with mixture of 3 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp ground ciniamon, 1/4 tsp nutmeg, & 1/4 tsp allspice
-line 1 lb loaf pay with Saran wrap & force liver into pan. Sprinkle sweet wine of choice over liver & gathar up plastic wrap & envelope lobe.
-place identical loaf pan over liver & weigh down.
-place pan in water bath & cook in 300 degree oven for 25 mins, or until it reaches internal temp of 100 degrees.
-remove pan & invert on rimmed plate to allow yellow gras fat to run out.
-turn upright, and replace weighted pan on top of liver to press down. Put in refrig & keep overnight.
I have had more success with the first method
Stu Dudley
Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:09 AM
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What a great resource Stu!! Not only do you know your way around but you know your way around the kitchen. Fantastic.
How about some more methods of preparing foie gras?
Will someone undertake to translate Michael's recipe s'il vous plait?
How about some more methods of preparing foie gras?
Will someone undertake to translate Michael's recipe s'il vous plait?
Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:20 AM
#28
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The recipe I quoted essentially has you wrap the foie gras in gauze dipped in Armagnac and then cured in salt for two hours for every 100g of foie. After the proper amount of time according to the weight of the foie, take the foie out of the salt, and place it in the refrigerator for 48 hours. Consume with the appropriate sweet wine.
Given this recipe, I have difficulty seeing StuDudley's recipe as mi-cuit. Both recipes sound excellent, but the foie is fully cooked, in my opinion.
Given this recipe, I have difficulty seeing StuDudley's recipe as mi-cuit. Both recipes sound excellent, but the foie is fully cooked, in my opinion.
Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:40 AM
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Here is a pretty photo from D'Artagnan; their quality is excellent for those of us stuck in the US:
https://www.dartagnan.com/item.asp?item=FDUFG007
https://www.dartagnan.com/item.asp?item=FDUFG007
Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:46 AM
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Jan 22nd, 2007, 09:47 AM
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Jan 22nd, 2007, 10:03 AM
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>>but the foie is fully cooked, in my opinion.<<
The first time I tried method #2, I fully cooked it and it almost reduced to nothing - all the gras fat was rendered. While cooking, my "instincts" was that I was not cooking it enough, so I left it in the oven longer (mistake).
The internal temp is 100 degrees Farenheit in the recipe, which is not that much more than room temp. If you had a fillet mignon that was 100 degrees F, you would consider it not cooked at all. The stuff in cans is cooked to 230 to 240 degrees F, according to Patricia Wells. Michae - I just noticed that I did not indicate F or C in the recipe. If you thought it cooked till 100 C, then it would be way overcooked.
Method #1 looked & tasted exactly like mi-cuit I buy in French markets, and have at restaurants - although the quality of the raw liver is probably better in France.
Method #2 is from Gary Danko, who is chef/owner of one of our best restaurants in San Francisco. He studied under Madeleine Kamman (famous French chef).
Method #2 is from Gerald Hirigoyen, who was born & raised in the Pays Basque region of France, and has several restaurants in San Francisco.
Stu Dudley
The first time I tried method #2, I fully cooked it and it almost reduced to nothing - all the gras fat was rendered. While cooking, my "instincts" was that I was not cooking it enough, so I left it in the oven longer (mistake).
The internal temp is 100 degrees Farenheit in the recipe, which is not that much more than room temp. If you had a fillet mignon that was 100 degrees F, you would consider it not cooked at all. The stuff in cans is cooked to 230 to 240 degrees F, according to Patricia Wells. Michae - I just noticed that I did not indicate F or C in the recipe. If you thought it cooked till 100 C, then it would be way overcooked.
Method #1 looked & tasted exactly like mi-cuit I buy in French markets, and have at restaurants - although the quality of the raw liver is probably better in France.
Method #2 is from Gary Danko, who is chef/owner of one of our best restaurants in San Francisco. He studied under Madeleine Kamman (famous French chef).
Method #2 is from Gerald Hirigoyen, who was born & raised in the Pays Basque region of France, and has several restaurants in San Francisco.
Stu Dudley
Jan 27th, 2007, 03:54 AM
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Robjame, just wait until you get here, and go to the market in Souillac (or Sarlat, but we know the people better in Souillac) Buy a fresh foie and saute it with apples and a bit of armagnac. That's what we did at Christmas, and it was heavenly. Luckily we didn't have any guests and could keep it all ourselves!
Or go to Calviac, the next village, about 3 minutes away, and get a jar of their mi-cuit. It is not true that you can't buy mi-cuit, but it usually comes in a jar rather than a tin, so that you can se the fat/foie content. Not sure about taking it back to Canada. Anyway, Jardel in Calviac has duck and goose, and so you can have a horizontal tasting. We have been known to do vertical tasting of sauteed goose vs. mi-cuit, etc., but there is a limit ...
And in case you want to meet some geese, there are various farms around us where you can see them lining up to be fed.
A bientot from South Africa, where there isn't much foie, ,but lots of sun, good wine, and even the McNaught comet
Or go to Calviac, the next village, about 3 minutes away, and get a jar of their mi-cuit. It is not true that you can't buy mi-cuit, but it usually comes in a jar rather than a tin, so that you can se the fat/foie content. Not sure about taking it back to Canada. Anyway, Jardel in Calviac has duck and goose, and so you can have a horizontal tasting. We have been known to do vertical tasting of sauteed goose vs. mi-cuit, etc., but there is a limit ...
And in case you want to meet some geese, there are various farms around us where you can see them lining up to be fed.
A bientot from South Africa, where there isn't much foie, ,but lots of sun, good wine, and even the McNaught comet
