Like Adam and Meg before me, I was recently given the opportunity to sample some of the foie gras from Mirepoix USA, arguably the best distributor of foie gras in the country and certainly the most accessible. Unlike my fellow bloggers, however, I opted to go for the already prepared Whole Duck Foie Gras w/ Armagnac Au Torchon Style instead of starting from scratch with the whole duck liver. I invited a group of friends and family, ranging in ages from 10 to 80, over to share the foie gras. For most of them, it was their first experience with the product and everyone seemed excited about the impromptu dinner party. Almost everyone had some prior knowledge of the controversy that surrounds the delicacy, but any pangs of conscience were overridden by hunger pangs and curiosity. That may be a bit of an overstatement, so let's just say that no strong feelings either way were expressed.
Having encountered it more than once in a restaurant, I am not a complete neophyte to foie gras, but I had never before prepared it or served it at home. I opted to serve the foie gras in two ways. First, I served toast points with slices of foie gras and fig preserves. The liver is very fatty (obviously) and the jam serves to lighten the heaviness of it on the palate, as well as to add some dimension to the flavor.
The second preparation of the foie gras was for the main course. I served filet mignon, seared and topped with a slice of foie gras, drizzled with a generous splash of a balsamic red wine reduction. Roasted potatoes and a small salad accompanied the filet.
A foie gras-free pear bundt cake and coffee were dessert and the plusses and minuses of the meal were discussed. Everyone preferred to have the foie gras with meat, rather than on toast, and they preferred very thin slices (pictured above) so that its richness did not overwhelm the meat. While no one seemed ready to run out and buy some for themselves, most said that they would eat it again if the occasion arose. That said, it is worth noting that none of my guests would shed any tears over the loss of foie gras if it was banned, either.
The sauce, by the way, was such an overwhelming success that everyone, excluding the 10 year old, went home with the recipe. You don't need to serve foie gras to enjoy it; the sauce goes well on meat, potatoes and vegetables, and can even be incorporated into pasta sauce when some extra liquid is needed. The filets that I served it with here were just sprinkled with salt and pepper and seared on both sides over high heat.
Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction(from Epicurious)
1 cup plus 2 tbsp red wine
1 cup balsamic vinegar
1 shallot, peeled and halved
1 tbsp butter, cut into 2 pieces
salt and pepper, to taste
In a saucepan, cook wine, vinegar, and shallot over medium-high heat until reduced to 1/3 cup. Remove from heat and remove the shallot. Whisk in butter and season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste. Keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.
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