Foie gras from the liver. Foie Gras - what is it? Foie gras with berry sauce

Interesting 22.08.2018
Interesting

Interested in French cuisine? Then figure out how to make foie gras.

What it is?

Foie gras is the fatty liver of fattened geese or ducks. By the way, the name is translated from French as “fatty liver”, so it fully reflects the essence of the product.

Birds are fattened in a special way, and this process cannot be called humane. First, geese and ducks feed naturally, then they are locked in cramped cages (thus movement and energy expenditure are limited) and fed starch- and protein-rich food. And the last stage is forced forced fattening. A special “gavage” pipe is placed directly into the bird’s throat, through which grain and fat are fed daily, and the volume exceeds the norm by 10 times!

Class A liver with some dari but not spongy is most desirable. A very spongy liver will have a low fat content and will burn when fried. If you have a liver that feels spongy and bounces back when you press it and you have time to get it back, see a supplier who should volunteer to replace it with a better one. If you're short on time, or don't realize you have sponge liver, just remember the oil trick. Processing before cooking.

The only real preparation required before making fresh foie gras is some careful development. Some cooks like to let the liver come to room temperature before starting. This softens them and makes it easier to draw the veins out of the liver. First of all, as with any meat, the warmer the foie gras is, the more susceptible it becomes to bacteria. Also, when the liver softens, it becomes very brittle and more prone to fracture. It's hard to get nice bites from a broken liver, and for terrines, more fat will be drawn out during baking.

The result is an exquisite delicacy that is popular not only in France, but throughout the world. One liver weighs about 500-700 grams, and the volume of fat in it reaches 40%. The hue can vary from pale yellow to light pink, and the structure is dense, but at the same time very delicate.

How to cook?

How to cook foie gras? There are many ways, and several will be discussed below.

The fried slices will be golden brown so you won't see any discoloration from the blood. However, terrines require a little more development. You will have the highest vein with the least liver breakdown if you know how veins live. The liver should be pale beige; trim any yellow or green spots. Each liver consists of two lobes, one slightly larger than the other. If there are a few bits of thin, white membrane stuck to the outside, pull them out. Carefully draw out the petals with your hands, noting that they are connected by a vein through the center of the two lobes.

Method number 1


You can cook fried foie gras. For this you will need:

  • 200 grams of foie gras;
  • 2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (it is best to use olive oil);
  • 3-4 lettuce leaves;
  • a pinch of Provence herbs;
  • salt to taste.

Cooking:

Hold one petal in your hand and with a pair of flat tweezers, grasp the end of the vein that has been severed. Pull gently in a slow, even motion. At best, a gentle pull will cause the rest of that vein hidden inside the liver to pull it out. For more extensive development, gently probe with tweezers, a pruning knife, or fingers to locate and remove the network of veins. Sometimes a piece of white fat is attached between the two petals, attached to a very thin membrane that must be scraped off with the fingers.

Terrine of foie gras with nuts

Keep the mammary gland cold until you are ready to cook them. Delicious or hot or cold The trend in cooking these days is to offer fried slices of fresh foie gras rather than the more traditional foie gras graters. In addition, saute recipes usually require much less preparation and labor, which is why they are preferred by restaurant chefs. However, as long as the food is cooked for a few minutes, you should use your sense of touch to determine the exact moment when the liver is fully cooked but not overcooked.

  1. First, the liver must be washed well and cleaned of all veins. Next, salt it a little and rub it with Provence herbs. But do not overdo it with seasonings, they can kill the taste of the most important ingredient.
  2. Cut the foie gras into small slices about 1.5 centimeters thick.
  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the liver on it. How long to fry such a product? Since it has a delicate texture, literally a couple of minutes on each side is enough.
  4. Serve fried foie gras on lettuce leaves.

Method number 2

From the fatty liver of a duck or goose, you can make the most delicate pate.

As the foie gras cooks, a lot of the fat is released, so the pieces go from cold, hard slices that are full of hardened fat to softer, moister slices that have most of the fat cooked through. When you cut the pieces for frying, touch them to measure the texture when cold. Feel them again while cooking so you can control the transformation.

Industrial production, technology and volumes

Knowing exactly when foie gras is done to perfection is an acquired skill, so it's best to cook a lot! When you roast foie gras, you want to use very high temperature so that the outer surface flakes off quickly, creating a delightfully crisp surface and helping to fully mold the piece. The pieces cook quickly and should be served right away, so be prepared with your plates and other ingredients. Long, slow cooking for terrines. While terrines are currently less trendy in American restaurants, they are a wonderful way to experience the sublime taste and texture of fresh foie gras.

List of required ingredients:

  • 600 grams of fatty duck or goose liver;
  • 70-80 grams of goose or duck fat;
  • 1 head of onion;
  • any seasonings to taste, for example, basil or Provence herbs;
  • salt to taste.

Step-by-step instruction:

  1. Wash the liver, clean from the veins and cut into slices.
  2. Peel the onion and chop finely.
  3. Melt the fat in a frying pan and first fry the onion in it until soft, and then the liver. If desired, you can stew the ingredients under the lid for a couple of minutes to make them more tender. At the end or a minute before they are fully cooked, salt and season them.
  4. Now place all the components in a blender or meat grinder and grind to end up with a homogeneous mass.
  5. Serve such tender pate best with hot crispy toast, it's very tasty!

Method number 3


Making your own terrine is a lot cheaper than buying one from a gourmet store. Another benefit for the home cook is that terrines can be prepared up to a week before serving. In fact, they need at least two days of "cure" time after baking for the flavors to develop. Probably the most important thing to remember when preparing terrines is to handle the liver gently, use mild heat and a bain-marie to cook, allow the terrine enough time to rest and heal, and take care to slice the finished terrine.

Prepare delicious spicy foie gras with wine sauce. For this you will need:

  • 400 grams of duck or goose liver;
  • ground black pepper;
  • coarse salt (you can use sea salt);
  • 70 ml of wine (it is better to use white, it is lighter and has a mild taste);
  • 30-40 ml of wine vinegar;
  • a pinch of Provence herbs or other seasoning of your choice

Description of the cooking process:

Gentle Cooking Strategies The best pot to use is a heavy, enameled iron terrine mold. Ceramic or porcelain stoneware works too, but the heavier the mold, the better so that the heat is distributed slowly and evenly. The shape of the terrines should be carefully wrapped in foil and placed in a bein marie, which can be just a fried pot filled with boiling water. The most important temperature for calibration is the core temperature of the liver.

You can test this while cooking by inserting an instant read thermometer into the center of the terrine. Don't press it until the tip is close to the bottom or sides of the mold, or your reading is too high - you want to know the temperature at the center of the liver. One hundred and ten degrees gives a rosy pink terrine, which I love so much because the texture is very creamy and silky.

  1. First, properly prepare the liver: wash it, remove the veins and cut into medium-sized slices.
  2. Prepare the sauce. To do this, simply mix wine, seasonings, wine vinegar and black pepper.
  3. Lightly heat the salt in a frying pan, then lay out the liver and fry until tender.
  4. Pour the foie gras with sauce and simmer for literally two minutes, and then serve.

Method number 4

This recipe is very unusual, as it involves the use of berries. But the taste of the dish is simply amazing!

Cooking this rare, like mine, is another reason to make sure it stays cool during processing. My terrine recipe is very simple, just some flavoring from a sweet wine marinade and salt and pepper. Seasonings really need to be soaked in the liver. If you inadvertently underreact the terrine, the best remedy is to serve it with salty flavors like onion and cranberry compote, which will help balance the flavors. Its meaning is harvest, or esophagus, and is based on pre-Roman words that may be of Gaulish origin.

List of required ingredients:

  • 500 grams of foie gras;
  • 300-400 grams of berries (for example, viburnum, strawberries, mountain ash, and so on);
  • 3-4 tablespoons of sugar;
  • 4 tablespoons of water;
  • 3 leaves of fresh mint;
  • salt;
  • seasonings to taste.

Cooking:

  1. The liver must be washed and cleaned of veins, and then cooked in any way convenient for you, for example, fry in a pan or send it to an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes, after wrapping it in foil (so the product will retain juiciness). Before cooking, salt and season the foie gras, but not too much.
  2. Now move on to preparing the berries. They need to be washed well and put in a pan, sprinkled with sugar. When they start up the juice, add water and cook everything until it thickens.
  3. Place the foie gras on a plate cut into portions and pour over the berry sauce. Garnish the dish with mint leaves.

Method number 5


Foie gras pate

The fattening of geese and ducks is based on the natural ability of the liver of fatty swallows to store large amounts of fat. The process is completely reversible, and when the animal is given a moderate amount of food, their liver will gradually return to normal size.

Known organoleptic and nutritional properties

The ideal foie gras should be smooth, elastic and firm to the touch. The shade will vary depending on the type of corn used for fattening. Goose foie gras is usually slightly pinkish than duck foie gras. More duck foie gras is eaten than goose foie gras. It's more "rustic" with a stronger flavor.

Prepare delicious and unusual pickled foie gras. Here's what you need for this:

  • 600 grams of duck fatty liver;
  • 500 ml of wine;
  • basil, herbs de Provence and nutmeg to taste (a little of everything);
  • salt.

Instruction:

  1. Wash the liver and clean it from the veins, season it and salt it, place it in any container and pour it with wine. In principle, you can choose any other alcoholic drink, depending on your preferences.
  2. Leave the foie gras to marinate overnight.
  3. Next, wrap the liver with foil and send it to the oven preheated to 180 degrees. But place a container of water under the baking dish to make the heat treatment softer.

Method number 6

Delicious and unusual in taste, foie gras with grapes will turn out.

Foie Gras Pate - Recipe

Some gourmets find it thinner than duck foie gras. Goose and duck foie gras are both made up of mostly good fats - poly and monounsaturated fatty acids useful for the prevention of cardiovascular disease. European and French regulations define foie gras as fatty palm liver after a fattening period.

This official quality label sets out the exact conditions under which ducks must be raised and fattened in the production area, geographical boundaries which are determined by common historical practices. The specifications define the exact characteristics of the foie gras sold with this quality label.

Required Ingredients:

  • 300 grams of fatty goose liver;
  • 100 grams of grapes (it is desirable to use a seedless variety);
  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil;
  • salt to taste.

Process description:

  1. Wash the liver in running water and remove the veins. Wash and dry the grapes too.
  2. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the liver along with the grapes.
  3. You can serve this dish with any sauce, for example, sweet and sour.

Treat yourself, guests and loved ones with delicious dishes!

The article also acknowledges that the fattening method is a special know-how and claims that foie gras is "part of the cultural and gastronomic heritage" of France. Depending on its use, the optimal weight for duck foie gras is 450 to 600 g and 650 to 800 g for goose foie gras.

The accumulation of fat in the liver cells is called steatosis. Steatosis is a normal physiological process when geese and ducks are force-fed because their livers are designed to store fat. In humans, on the other hand, steatosis can be a sign of pathology.

Foie Gras - goose liver pate and a symbol of gastronomic chic - is considered an invention French chefs, because it is an attribute of luxury and a traditional Christmas dish in France. In fact, the French only inherited the recipe for this delicious dish from the Romans, who learned it from the Jews, and they, in turn, from the Egyptians. About 4,000 years ago, the Egyptians noticed that the geese and ducks that migrate north through the Nile Valley and stop to rest and eat before the long flight of figs, which abound in these lands, have tastier livers than domestic geese. To achieve the same effect with poultry, the Egyptians began to fatten geese and ducks with figs, and they did it forcibly. To get a large, juicy, soft and fatty liver, birds had to eat huge amounts of figs for several weeks. This technology was adopted by the Jews, who then lived in Egypt. Since the religion forbids them to eat pork fat and butter for frying, they raised geese in this way for their fat, but not for their liver. Until the 19th century, goose liver was considered non-kosher, and Jewish poultry farmers profitably sold it. From the Jews, the technology of rearing poultry passed to the Romans, and goose liver pate became one of the favorite dishes of the ancient world.

Steatosis is not the same as cirrhosis. Cirrhosis entails the destruction of liver cells and their replacement with non-functional scar tissue. Scientific studies have not shown degeneration of palmated liver cells during or after fattening. The accumulation of fat in the liver of geese and ducks is a natural and completely reversible biological process.

If a fattener is pulled out of the fattening cycle, his liver will return to normal weight and appearance. This is what happens in nature when a bird has exhausted its energy resources after a long migration. Foie gras is not a painful liver, it is a healthy product.

Goose liver foie gras (oie) has a more refined creamy flavor and softer texture than duck liver foie gras (canard), which has a pronounced musky aroma and distinct taste. The debate about whose liver is best for foie gras has been going on since the time of Pliny. Today, preference is given to duck liver, as its production is more economical. About 90% of foie gras is made today from the liver of ducks.

No artificial ingredients, minimally processed. Today he continues the tradition self made high quality, all natural and smoked pâtés, offering a complete line of artisanal pâtés, mousses, terrines, sausages, sauquisons, smoked meats and other French dishes. Pairing: A dry, sparkling white wine with subtle creamy and nutty aromas or a light fruity fruity red wine with a hint of earth.

When you are ready to use, remove the plastic film from the packaging and rinse. Using a sharp, warm knife, cut the block into equal pieces and serve on top of toasted bread rolls or a layer of field greens. If you are performing at a party, place it in the middle of your serving dish. Round with sliced ​​French baguette or fried bread from a bun and fresh fruit such as figs or grapes. Refrigerate at 38 degrees or below.

Foie Gras literally means "fatty liver" in French. Few people know that the word "liver" in French(and other languages ​​of the Romance group) is derived from the Latin word for figs (figs). The Latin name for the dish "Jecur Ficatum" (liver derived from figs) was shortened to "Ficatum", which became "foie" in French. We can say that today the name foie gras does not justify itself, since instead of figs, birds are fed boiled corn and even mixtures of soy and vitamin supplements.

How to cook foie gras at home

Named for the ships in which they are trained. Many classic recipes get their names in this way; the iconic one is named after the cash register, and the word "casserole" is from the French for the "sauce" in which it is assembled and cooked. And they are prepared in the form of terrines, usually porcelain with a tight-fitting lid. Terrine, the preparation, is a purist foie gras experience, as all raw livers are packaged in terrine form and cooked at low temperature in a water bath. There are very few ingredients to distract from the rich, buttery taste of pure: salt, pepper and Sauternes, this wonderful sweet white wine from France is all that is added.

The first goose pâté recipes date back to the 4th and 5th centuries. These recipes do not provide a detailed description of the entire process of preparing the delicacy; detailed recipes appeared only in French cookbooks of the 17th and 18th centuries. That is why France is considered to be the birthplace of foie gras. In 19th century France, foie gras became a fashionable dish among the nobility, and many variations of the preparation of this dish appeared. Some restaurants have been sticking to signature recipes for over 100 years. In the southwest of France and in Alsace there is a real cult of foie gras. In Alsace, they even grow a special breed of geese - the Strasbourg one, which gives a liver weighing up to 1200 grams. Among ducks, the best breed for foie gras is considered mular (a hybrid of Peking and Moscow ducks). Various regions of France are famous for various types foie gras. Airy foie gras is made in Toulouse Ivory; in Starsburg, pink and hard. Foie gras from Bordeaux goes well with hot dishes; from Perigord - to cold. France is the largest producer and consumer of foie gras in the world. In addition to France, foie gras is produced in Hungary, Spain, Belgium, the USA and Poland. In Israel, the production of foie gras is hindered by animal advocates: this dish is prohibited there. It is also illegal to produce and eat foie gras in Argentina, Norway and Switzerland.

The process of force-feeding the bird is called "gavage". Although the practice is considered unethical and banned in some countries, farmers and foie gras enthusiasts claim that force-feeding does not make the birds uncomfortable. Geese and ducks do not chew food, but grind it in the stomach with the help of small pebbles that they swallow. With artificial feeding, food is introduced twice a day in large quantities. An enlarged liver does not affect the health of geese and ducks in any way and has nothing to do with cirrhosis. AT vivo waterfowl migratory birds also overeat before long journeys, it is no coincidence that the liver of these birds is used for foie gras, and not chickens, for example. Compared to many domestic animals, the life of geese and ducks raised for foie gras seems like a fairy tale: for several months they graze in the meadows, move a lot, and only live in small pens for the last 2-3 weeks. After special feeding, the liver of birds increases by 10-15 times. If the birds are released into the wild after the cubage, after a few weeks their liver will return to normal.

Foie gras is not only a gastronomic delight, but also very healthy dish. Liver waterfowl rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which lower blood cholesterol levels and provide healthy eating cells. Saturated fatty acids in duck fat are 2 times less than in butter, and unsaturated - 2 times more. The benefits of foie gras are evidenced by the fact that in regions where this dish is especially popular, the level of cardiovascular diseases is very low. high duration life.

The production of foie gras in France is regulated by law. Most best product- whole goose or duck liver without additives (foie gras entier). It can be sold raw, cooked or semi-cooked. Foie gras with pieces consists of ground liver and whole pieces of liver, the content of which must be at least 30%. The foie gras block (bloc de foie gras) consists of ground liver, and the content of goose liver must be at least 50%.
Truffles, cognac and other products can be added to foie gras. Foie gras is used to make mousse, pate, parfait, galantine, terrine or medallion - products with different ways cooking and various contents of the liver. For example, to make mousse, the liver is whipped with cream, proteins and alcohol; terrine - baked pate with a rough structure based on several types of liver. As a rule, pork or beef liver is added to pâtés and foie gras mousses. French chefs use foie gras to make amazing dishes: siphon terrine for a low-fat foam; frozen and form parfait in the form of sweets stuffed with almonds, dried fruits and orange chips.

For the preparation of foie gras of the highest grade, the freshest liver is required. It should be cut into thin slices and fried in olive or butter. Pieces of liver should retain a delicate silky texture under a crispy crust. This method seems simple, but in fact it requires skill, because the delicacy should not melt in a pan or be too greasy. Hot, freshly prepared foie gras is served as a main course with confiture, fruit, mushrooms or chestnuts. Sweet berry and fruit sauces, marmalade, nuts, spices (allspice, fennel, cinnamon, cloves) are combined with this dish. Well-cooked foie gras is best enjoyed early in the meal when the taste buds are at their most sensitive.

Another method involves marinating the liver in cognac with spices for 10-12 hours, after which truffles and Madeira are added to it and rubbed for a long time until a tender mass is obtained, which is placed in a water bath in the oven for 50-60 minutes. Foie gras prepared in this way is served as an appetizer or aperitif, cold, but not too icy. It is cut into thin slices and laid (not smeared) on bread, cold toast, apple slices or lettuce with the thinnest possible knife, which should be rinsed and wiped after cutting each piece to maintain shape. It is better to take foie gras out of the refrigerator 15-20 minutes before serving, and cut at the last moment. If the foie gras is too soft, it is cut with a butter-cutting wire (lyre).

In French stores, you can find foie gras in all sorts of forms: from raw to canned. Raw liver (Foie gras cru) offers a lot of culinary creativity, but does not tolerate delay in preparation. Semi-finished foie gras (foie gras mi-cuit) is a semi-finished product that has undergone minimal processing and also requires immediate preparation. Semi-preserved foie gras (foie gras semi-conserve) - pasteurized product, ready to eat, with the possibility of storage for several months in the refrigerator. Canned foie gras (foie gras en conserve) - a sterilized product in metal cans, far from original recipe but well tolerated storage.

Such an exquisite delicacy as foie gras requires careful selection of wines. Young, sour and too light wines will spoil the impression of foie gras. A worthy addition would be Armagnac, Sauternes, white liqueur wines Château d'Yquem or Mont Baziyac, semi-dry Bergerac, Loupiac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont, mature red wines with a rich bouquet or champagne.

The main difficulty in making foie gras in Russia is finding the liver of a specially fed bird. Ideally, this dish requires a large duck liver weighing about 400-500 grams or a goose liver weighing about a kilogram. The color of a raw liver can vary from cream to buff, depending on what the bird was fed. To make sure the liver is fresh, press it with your finger. If the trace remains - the liver is fresh and of high quality. The next difficult step is cleaning the liver from films and veins. It is recommended to do this with warm liver with a not very sharp knife, so as not to damage the structure. When preparing foie gras according to French recipes, pay attention to which liver is used. Goose and duck liver require various methods cooking.

Ingredients:
1 PC. goose liver (600-700 g),
juice of 1 orange,
10 grapes
salt, pepper to taste.

Cooking:
Cut the liver into slices 1-1.5 cm thick, salt and pepper. Heat up a frying pan, sprinkle it with salt and brush with olive oil and lard. Lay out the liver pieces, turn after 5 seconds 4-5 times and put on plates. Peel the grapes from the seeds, put in a pan, pour orange juice and heat, stirring for about 30 seconds. Drizzle the foie gras with grape-orange sauce and garnish with basil, parsley or mint.

Ingredients:
1 PC. duck liver (about 400 g),
1 bottle of Sauternes
freshly ground pepper, salt to taste.

Cooking:
The day before cooking, clean the liver from films and channels, salt, pepper, put in a bowl, pour wine, close tightly and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven, at this time put the liver in a transparent baking dish, press firmly with a spatula and cover with a lid. Pour hot water on a baking sheet and cover with paper so that the water does not splatter when boiling. Place the pan on a baking sheet so that it is one third submerged in water. After about 35 minutes, when the liver has secreted enough fat, take out the mold and place it in ice water for a sharp chill so that the liver retains a dense structure. Put cold dishes in the refrigerator and leave for 48 hours.

Ingredients:
Goose or duck liver,
port wine,
0.5 tsp Sahara,
salt, pepper to taste.

Cooking:
Salt and pepper the cleaned liver, put it in a tightly closed jar, fill it with port wine, add sugar and sterilize for 30 minutes at a temperature of 100 C. The dish is ready for use immediately after cooling, but after 2-3 months foie gras acquires a more delicate taste.

Ingredients:
600-700 g goose liver,
500 ml milk
100 g white mushrooms,
600-700 g pork fillet,
50 g fat,
cognac or madeira
spices (pepper, nutmeg, bay leaf).

Cooking:
Soak the liver in milk for 2 hours, peel, stuff with pieces of mushrooms, pour cognac or Madeira and leave for 3 hours.

Pass the pork fillet twice through a meat grinder, salt, add spices and wine, in which the liver was marinated. Lay the baking dish with minced meat, put the liver in the middle, cover with minced meat, put thin slices of lard and bay leaves on top. Bake in a water bath at the rate of 30 minutes per kilogram of dish. Cool the finished foie gras and leave for 48 hours in the refrigerator.

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