Preparation of Foie Gras

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#57The Cooking of South West France
The Cooking of South West France

By Paula Wolfert

Published 1987

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A foie gras is made of two lobes: one small and one large. All livers first should be rinsed briefly to remove any surface blood. They should also be trimmed of any extra fat or greenish spots. If the liver is to be cooked whole—steamed, poached, or turned into a terrine—it should be deveined. However, it is desirable to use only the Artisan brand, which does not need to be deveined because of special feeding and sophisticated production techniques.

Please don’t be against the idea of using duck or foie gras fat; in the eyes of the French it is almost the same as olive oil. At least it is according to Dr. Serge Renaud, who made famous the “French paradox” on CBS’s 60 Minutes some years ago. In Southwest France, where the population consumes lots of duck fat, there is the lowest incidence of heart disease in the country.