Foie gras is a must for the end of the year celebrations. I see more and more people making homemade foie gras and it is a recipe that I am regularly asked to make. In this article I reveal the best duck foie gras recipes that I have perfected over the past few years.
Contents
A little history
Foie gras is a delicacy made from the liver of a specially fattened duck or goose. It is believed to have appeared in ancient Egypt as early as 2500 BC, where it was enjoyed by royalty and the wealthy.
Foie gras gained popularity throughout Europe in the Middle Ages for our pleasure! It became a staple of French cuisine in the 18th century and was modernized in the 19th century thanks to new methods of force-feeding, which allowed farmers to produce foie gras in an industrial way.
In France, and in the world, foie gras is consumed mainly in winter. It is very appreciated during the end of year celebrations, especially at Christmas, when it is found on almost every table as an aperitif.
My best recipes to make a success of your Foie Gras
In order to better guide you, I indicate the cooking method, the time of realization and the necessary material of all my recipes to make its home-made foie gras. In all cases, the only essential ingredients are raw liver, salt, pepper and the alcohol of your choice. As mentioned above, you can add any seasoning you like. Then you have to be patient. After cooking, it is necessary to place your home-made foie gras in the refrigerator.
How not to miss its Foie Gras?
This is the first question you should ask yourself! Because if duck foie gras is easy to make, there are certain elements that are essential to the making of homemade foie gras.
I want to remind you that the best recipes are made with the best ingredients. Be sure to choose a very good quality of fresh foie gras.
The first step in making the foie gras is to devein the two lobes of raw foie gras. You can choose to buy a duck liver already deveined. I explain in the first method how to devein its fresh liver. To carry out this step, remember to take the foie gras out of the refrigerator long enough in advance so that it is at room temperature. The foie gras will be softer and easier to devein.
Once deveined, the foie gras must be seasoned to perfection.
In general, the following amounts are used for seasoning:
- 10 to 15g of salt per kilo of foie gras
- 3 or 4g of pepper per kilo of foie gras
- 5/6 pinch of sugar per kilo of foie gras
You can then add alcohol such as port, cognac, rum, sweet white wine or other spices (Sichuan berry, truffles, chili pepper, etc.) To each his own!
Now that your foie gras is seasoned, all you have to do is respect the cooking time and the resting time in the terrine. For that, I give you my 6 easy recipes for homemade foie gras!
The material necessary to prepare the Foie Gras
It is not necessary to have a professional kitchen to make a very good foie gras. You will still need a bowl if you decide to use the traditional oven recipe, but it is possible to do without it with boiling water cooking. If you want to prepare a foie gras that will keep for a long time, you will need an airtight glass jar and to carry out the method offoie gras in sterilizedterrine.
In the sixth method I propose, I use a vacuum machine and an immersion heater that not everyone has at home. This method is very efficient when you need to make a large number of foie gras but is not necessarily better than another.
When to serve the foie gras ?
Foie gras is a delicate dish that is often prepared at home. To preserve homemade foie gras, put it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen, which will extend its shelf life. When freezing foie gras, it is important to ensure that it is packaged in a well-sealed bag so that air cannot enter the package and cause freezer burn.
If not frozen, homemade foie gras should be eaten within three or four days of production. If you want a longer shelf life, salting and drying the foie gras can help you keep it for up to two weeks. To salt the foie gras, place it in a bowl with a mixture of salt and sugar (about 2 tablespoons of each) and mix until it is completely coated. Then transfer the mixture to a jar or storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
No matter how you choose to store your homemade foie gras, always make sure to keep it refrigerated or frozen until it is ready to eat.
You can also choose the method of sterilized Foie Gras in order to preserve it in terrine. This method has the advantage of being able to keep for several months, and the longer the foie gras is kept, the better it will be!
What is the best alcohol for foie gras?
The best type of alcohol to pair with a foie gras dish is usually a sweet dessert wine like Sauternes, Port or Tokaji. These wines have enough sweetness and body to balance the richness of the foie gras, but are not so heavy as to overpower it. Other appropriate choices are champagne, pinot gris or riesling. A full-bodied red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon can also accompany a particularly rich foie gras dish.
How to preserve homemade foie gras?
Foie gras is a delicacy that is often prepared at home. To preserve homemade foie gras, put it in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. It can also be frozen, which will extend its shelf life. When freezing foie gras, it is important to ensure that it is well sealed so that air cannot enter the package and cause freezer burn.
If not frozen, homemade foie gras should be eaten within three or four days of production. If you want a longer shelf life, salting and drying the foie gras can help you keep it for up to two weeks. To salt and cure the foie gras, place it in a bowl with a mixture of salt and sugar (about 2 tablespoons of each) and mix until it is completely coated. Then transfer the mixture to a jar or storage container and store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
No matter how you choose to store your homemade foie gras, always make sure to keep it refrigerated or frozen until it is ready to eat.
What to do with your foie gras?
Foie gras can be eaten as is but it is possible to sublimate it by using it in different recipes.
Whether you prefer it semi-cooked or in a terrine, you will find in my blog dozens of tips and recipes to marry your homemade foie gras to perfection.
