French Recipes… Making your own Foie Gras

Most of you will know about the delicious treat that is Foie Gras – having tasted it in restaurants or bought some in the supermarket for Christmas. But what about making your own this year? As you will see, it really isn’t as difficult as you might think and will taste extra special knowing that you did it yourself!

Ingredients
A raw foie gras (buy it preferably frozen as you will then be sure that it is as fresh as possible when you prepare it)
Salt
Pepper
Spices and / or alcohol
Note: Alcohol is not required for the recipe but should you choose to add some to your foie gras, the best to use are the following, depending on what you prefer: porto, pineau, cognac or armagnac
Preparation

1. Let the foie gras soak 1 or 2 hours in salted lukewarm water with a bit of milk so that it softens.
2. Remove the nerves from the foie gras – if a few small ones are left, it’s not a big problem.  Do not worry either about damaging the foie gras, it takes back its shape once cooked.
3. Season to your liking. Usually 1 small teaspoon of salt and a good pinch of pepper is about right. In  general, it is better to season little than too much.
4. Add the spices and / or the alcohol. Be careful if you use some alcohol in the seasoning, you don’t need much (around 4 cl) or your foie gras will lose its taste to the alcohol.
5. Press the foie gras back together and put it in a terrine. Let it marinate for a bit (ideally 12h but it can be less, depending on how much time you have)
6. Pre-heat your oven at 160°C (th.5). Prepare your bain-marie: the water needs to be boiling before putting in the terrine and the water has to be on the same level as the content of the terrine.
7. When your bain-marie is ready, put in the terrine and let it cook for 15 to 20 min. You can check if it’s ready by testing with the tip of a knife in it: it has to be warm to the touch.
8. Once ready, take out the terrine and let it cool for around 30 min at room temperature. Then put it in the fridge with a light weight on it. Ideally, the foie gras should be made 5 days in advance so that the taste can be at its best. It can be kept up to 10 days in the fridge.

You are now ready to impress your guests so bon appétit!