26 July 2007
How can there be too much Foie Gras
Posted by Chef Paul under: Photo Post .
It all started with a sit down menu for 8 people here in Long Beach on a warm summer evening. 9 courses over several hours with my friend Chef Anita Bergmann helping me out. Prepping the day before, I had a few scraps after portioning the Hudson Valley Lobe of Foie Gras. Anita and I verified it was good enough to serve. The evening of the dinner party I had a few extra portions so I served the best looking ones to the guests.  Anita and I again struggled though tasting the delicious  seared Foie again because we didn’t want it to go to waste. The next day I cleaned up another lobe of Foie, this time to make a torchon. Chef John Johnston from Ritz Carlton had taught me a method of whole roasting, rapid cooling, forming into a cylinder several years ago but I wanted to try it like Thomas Keller did at the French Laundry. Cleaned, Formed, rolled in cheesecloth and poached. Now a few days later we had dinner at Marche Modern…Florent & Amilia Marneau’s new restaruant in South Coast Plaza. On the menu was both seared and cold preparations so we tasted them both. An excellent thick slice of Torchon on top of a sheet of carmelized Pineapple with good bread. My wife shared a few precious bites of the seared preparation with me. I got lost in the rest of the good food and found myself at home in Foie Gras Dreamland. Next day my Torchon had to be tasted…the best flavor was with a Vanilla Fig compote I had made last season. Next morning it was just a slice for breakfast on toasted Walnut Raisin Bread, in the afternoon a Beef Burger w’ Frome d’Ambert Blue Cheese, homegrown Heirloom Tomatoes, mustard, lettuce, and…you guessed it, a few little slices of the Torchon. The first trip to Marche Modern my friend Patrick could not make the dinner so we had to reschedule another dinner there just last night. This time I got the Seared Foie Gras, over a large Toasted Brioche Cube, served with Sylvie’s Huckleberries. Outstanding. Now my biggest problem…I still have one Torchon left in the fridge so I will have to have it with some egg dish for breakfast tomorrow. Ok, next week no more foie for awhile…but really,”How can there be too much Foie Gras”?
One Comment so far...
Teri Says:
26 July 2007 at 6:45 pm.
OK - Number 1 - I’m coming over for breakfast to have the Foie - when did you say? Tomorrow? and Number 2 - Believe it or not, a couple of years ago in a fabulous restaurant in Provence our table was mistakenly served an extra serving and I couldn’t eat it. The first serving was just so, over the top, rich, buttery, creamy…………..I guess I’m a light weight.