300 g / 11 oz boneless pork blade (shoulder), chopped
50 ml / 2 fl oz (¼ cup) white port
1 tablespoon green peppercorns
½ teaspoon finely grated orange zest
100 g / 3 ½ oz smoked duck breast, sliced
100 g /3 ½ oz dried duck breast, sliced
Salt and pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C / 350°F / Gas Mark 4. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan (skillet). Add the onions and cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Remove the pan from the heat. Mix together the chopped duck meat, bacon and pork blade in a bowl, add the port, peppercorns, onions and orange zest and season with salt and pepper.
Spoon one-third of the mixture into a terrine and cover with the smoked duck breast. Spoon in half the remaining mixture and cover with the dried duck breast. Add the remaining mixture. Cover and bake for 2 hours. Serve cold.
Enriching this duck stock with demi-glace makes the sauce for Duck With Cherries particularly satiny.
Ingredients:
1 duck carcass 1 yellow onion, quartered 8 black peppercorns 1 bay leaf 2 tsp. salt 2 cups duck demi-glace
Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 250 C°. Chop duck carcass into 16 pieces, then put in a heavy roasting pan with onions, peppercorns, and bay leaf. Season with salt and roast until deeply browned, about 45 minutes.
2. Remove from oven and add 12 cups water. Using a wooden spoon, scrape any browned bits stuck to bottom of pan, then return pan to oven and roast until stock has reduced by half, about 30 minutes. Strain stock and add demi-glace.
Most chefs tend to put duck on their menus in fall or winter, but you can also cook duck in summer, pairing the meat with ripe apricots, peaches or cherries. You can marinate the apricots in garlic and thyme, then serve them alongside slices of golden, crispy-skinned duck and a bright cherry sauce.
Ingredients:
3 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper
4 apricots, halved and pitted
1 cup apple juice or cider
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
Pinch of sugar
1/2 pound sweet cherries, pitted (2 cups)
1 tablespoon minced shallots
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 large fennel bulb, cored and very thinly sliced
4 boneless Pekin duck breasts (6 ounces each), skin scored in a crosshatch pattern
1/2 cup small arugula leaves
2 tablespoons minced chives
Preparation:
1. In a shallow dish, combine 2 tablespoons of the olive oil with 1 tablespoon of the thyme and the garlic and season with salt and pepper. Add the apricot halves and toss to coat. Let stand for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400°. In a medium saucepan, combine the apple juice, vinegar and sugar and boil over moderately high heat until slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Add the cherries and boil until tender, about 3 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to a bowl. Add the shallots to the saucepan and boil over high heat until the liquid has reduced to 1/2 cup, about 4 minutes. Return the cherries to the saucepan. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of thyme and season with salt and pepper. Keep the cherry sauce warm.
3. Light a grill. In a medium bowl, mix the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of olive oil with the lime juice and season with salt and pepper. Add the fennel and toss well.
4. Grill the apricots over a medium-hot fire until lightly charred and tender, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and keep warm.
5. Heat a large ovenproof skillet. Season the duck breasts generously with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet, skin side down, and cook over moderately high heat until some of the fat has been rendered, about 3 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast the duck breasts for 3 minutes. Turn the breasts and roast for about 3 minutes longer, until medium-rare. Transfer the breasts to a carving board to rest for 5 minutes.
6. Toss the arugula and chives with the fennel salad and arrange on 4 plates. Slice the duck breasts crosswise 1/4 inch thick; arrange the slices on the plates and top with the cherry sauce. Garnish with the grilled apricots and serve.
Note: The cherry sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat gently before serving.
It's almost impossible to overcook duck legs - so try this rich, slow-roasted dish
Ingredients:
4 ducklegs
½ tsp five spice powder
bunch of rosemarysprigs
4 fat garlic cloves
half a bottle of red wine
2 tbsp redcurrantsor quince jelly
Preparation:
1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Put the duck legs in one layer in a roasting tin on a bed of rosemary sprigs and garlic cloves. Sprinkle with salt and five-spice powder. Roast for 1 hr.
2. Bring the wine and jelly to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the jelly, then continue to simmer for 5 mins. When the duck has been cooking for an hr remove from the oven and spoon off almost all the fat (save it for roast potatoes), then pour the wine mixture around it and return to the oven for 10-15 mins to finish cooking and reduce the sauce.
1. Peel and thinly slice the celeriac and place into a shallow baking tray. Add a thin layer of water then add the butter, brown sugar, thyme and season with sea salt. Heat on the hob for approximately 10 minutes until the celeriac is soft.
2. Peel the potatoes and trim to create an oval shape and poach in boiling water (starting from cold) for approximately five minutes or until soft.
3. Mix the stock with the cranberry jelly until it forms a thin paste.
4. Take the duck breast and slice the skin to expose the fat and season with salt and pepper. Pan fry the duck with the skin side down with no oil using a low heat. Gently increase the heat and seal the duck on both sides. Remove the exess fat and then cook in the oven for about 15 minutes at 180ºC.
5. Poach the fennel for around 10 minutes in boiling water. Add the Pernod and season with salt. When cooked slice in half.
6. A few minutes before removing the duck from the oven add the cherry tomatoes. When cooked allow the duck 2-3 minutes to rest before serving.
7. Gently melt some butter in a pan until it forms a rich foam then add the potatoes, celeriac and fennel.
8. Slice the duck and drizzle the cranberry sauce on the top, garnish with the thyme.
1. Clen the duck liver and cut it into 7-8 mm thick pieces. Add the salt and the black pepper.
2. Cover the grill of the oven with aluminium folio and put the slices of the bread. Bake until gold and bring them out of the oven.
3. Turn the slices on the other side and put 1-2 pieces of the foie gras. Put them back in the oven for about 3-4 minutes, until the foie gras tightens. Be carefull not to overdo the duck liver.
4. Serve on plateau.
Note: Choose a bread with a more thick middle, so it could absorb the sauce of the duck liver. Serve on serviettes, because it is eaten by hands.
Sautéeing duck foie gras is not hard to do, but be careful; otherwise, you'll end up with a puddle of very expensive melted fat.
Ingredients:
1/2 lb piece raw Grade A duck foie gras at room temperature, cleaned and deveined
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tsp canola oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
1. After deveining, cut the foie gras crosswise into 1,5 cm-thick pieces, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in a 25 cm heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté half the foie gras until golden, 45 to 60 seconds on each side (it will be pink inside). Quickly transfer to a paper towel to drain and discard fat in skillet.
3. Sauté the rest of the foie gras the same way, then discard all all but 1 tablespoon of remaining fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Serve foie gras with sauce.
Michelin three-star chef Marc Meneau has made this mystifying hors d'oeuvre one of his signatures. The technique of fusing gelatin to solidify a liquid in order to seal it in a package, only to melt it later through cooking, echoes the preparation of the famous soup dumplings of Shanghai. For the cromesquis, named for a Polish gourmand, Meneau makes a filling of foie gras, truffles, port, and cream, which he envelopes in a classic breading. Because of the molten center, it is important to cool the cromesquis slightly before serving so that guests can pop them into their mouths whole, thereby avoiding a potentially messy situation while fully experiencing the sensual flavor and texture.
Ingredients:
Filling
1-3/4 ounces gelatin, about 24 leaves or 5 packages 2 cups Port 3/4 pound foie gras, diced 3 cups heavy cream 1/4 cup black truffle juice Coarse salt Black pepper, freshly ground 1 ounce black truffle, finely chopped
Breading: Flour for dredging 6 eggs 6 egg yolks 4 cups fine white bread crumbs Grapeseed oil for frying
Wine Recommendation Bollinger Brut Grand Année 1989 (Champagne), or another dry vintage Champagne.
Preparation:
Filling Whether using leaves or powder, dissolve the gelatin in enough cold water to cover. In a large saucepan set over high heat, reduce the port by slightly more than half, about 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a very hot sauté pan, cook the diced foie gras for about 1 minute. Set aside. Add the cream to the reduced port and bring the mixture to a boil. Add the truffle juice and return the mixture to a boil once again. Stir in the dissolved gelatin, salt, and pepper and return the mixture to a boil. Remove from the heat and add the foie gras, along with any fat that may have rendered out. Transfer to the bowl of a food processor and process for several minutes until smooth.
Sprinkle the chopped truffle over the bottom of a half hotel pan or 2-quart baking dish, then pour in the cromesquis mixture. Refrigerate for about 12 hours, until set. Cut the chilled mixture into 1-inch squares.
Breading Dredge the squares in flour and refrigerate for 8 hours. Beat together the eggs and the egg yolks. Dip the floured squares in the egg mixture and coat thoroughly in the bread crumbs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Repeat the breading procedure (egg and bread crumbs) and return the cromesquis to the refrigerator until service.
Service Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large, deep sauté pan or pot, heat the oil to 350 degrees. Quickly deep fry the cromesquis until golden brown, drain, transfer to a rack set on a sheet pan, and finish in the oven for 3 or 4 minutes until heated through. Handle the cromesquis very gently, as the filling will have completely liquefied. Allow to cool slightly before serving. Expect that several of the cromequis will break during the cooking process and will not be usable.
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Sauterne or other sweet late harvest dessert wine
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
6 ounces prepared chopped duck confit
6 ounces chopped goose or duck foie gras
1 egg white
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
15 slices brioche or homemade-style white bread, crusts removed
Vegetable oil or clarified butter, for frying
Preparation:
1. In a small saucepan heat 1 cup of wine over medium low heat. Remove from the heat and sprinkle the gelatin over the wine and stir to dissolve completely. Pour into a glass loaf pan or medium, shallow bowl and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour. Cut into small dice and refrigerate until ready to use.
2. In a food processor blend the duck confit, 4 ounces foie gras, egg white, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and remaining 1 tablespoon of wine. Pulse until the mixture forms a spreadable mousse, but is not completely smooth.
Divide the foie gras mixture among the sliced bread, spreading it evenly to the edges, then slice in half.
3. In a small heavy skillet, render the remaining foie gras over medium high heat. Fry the foie gras toasts in batches, being careful not to overcrowd, coated sides down first, until golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Add vegetable oil as needed to keep 1/4-inch fat in the skillet for frying the toasts. Remove the toasts, drain on paper towels and allow to cool slightly, about 30 seconds, before garnishing each toast with 1 teaspoon diced Sauterne Gelee
French law allows the description foie gras to be applied to any product containing at least 20% of duck or goose foie gras.
Foie gras entier, goose or duck, is 100% liver: one lobe, several lobes or part of a lobe, depending on the amount sold. It may come in a terrine, a can or a roll. Truffled foie gras entier contains at least 3% of its weight in truffles.The simple description of foie gras denotes pieces of goose or duck liver surrounded with forcemeat (meat of liver of pork, veal, and/or poultry) or larded with a thin slice of bacon. Depending on price, the proportion of goose or duck liver may vary from 20 to 50 per cent. IT will be indicated on the label. The proportion of truffle, if included, must be at least 3%, as with the entier kind described above.
Bloc de foie gras, goose or duck, must contain at least 50% of whole goose liver or 35% of whole duck liver, visible when it is cut. The pieces are bound with a puree of foie gras and surrounded by the same forcemeat as the foie gras above, or by a thin slice of bacon, and if truffles are included the proportion is still 3%.
Parfait de foie gras, goose or duck, consists of small pieces of liver mashed and moulded, surrounded by the same forcemeat and/orr a thin slice of bacon, and if truffle is added the proportion is 3%.
Pate de foie gras, of goose or duck liver, contains a minimum of 50% of foie gras at the centre, consisting of mashed pieces as used in the parfait, surrounded by the classic forcemeat or a special forcemeat recipe, and somethimes by a thin slice of bacon. The word truffle implies the presence of only 1! of the pate's total weight in truffles.
Galantine de foie gras, of goose or duck, is a mixture of pieces of foie gras and of forcemeat, with at least 35% of the pieces of liver distributed through it showing. It is said to be truffled if it contains only 1% of its total weight in truffles.
Puree or mousse de foie gras, of goose or duck or both, is made of 50% of foie gras and 50% forcemeat, crushed and mixed together. It is said to be truffled if it contains 1% of its total weight in truffles. The truffles used for the top-of-the-range foie grasare usually whole, and the manufacturers make sure you know it. Cheeper kinds use truffle peelings.
Foie gras described as mi-cuit, half-cooked, has been cooked at a temperature below 100 degrees centrigrade, is only partially preserved, and should be kept at a temperature of 2 degrees and eaten within six months.
Foie gras described as de conserve, preserved, has been sterilized, and should be kept at a temperature of 10 to 15 degrees. It is best left to mature for a year before it is eaten.
The date of manufacture should be fully and clearly shown on all labels.
Foie gras is one of the World’s oldest delicacies.
The first evidence of foie gras is found in Egypt some 5 000 years ago. Ancient Egyptians discovered the secret of foie gras while hunting migratory ducks and geese in the waters of the Nile River. Egyptians had noticed that the birds were endlessly eating figs to prepare themselves for their long trip back to the North.
This overeating caused their livers to become naturally fat and Egyptians developed a technique to reproduce this work of nature at the hands of men by force-feeding geese with figs.
From Egypt the practice spread across the Mediterranean to Greece and Rome. In the third century BC the Romans discovered that feeding some types of fruit to the birds further enhanced the taste of foie gras.
Then unfortunately, the Foie Gras disappeared for centuries due to the fall of Roman Empire and its civilisation. It will be the 14th century when the Foie Gras makes its re-entrance to France, notably into the Southwest. But this time the animals are no longer fed with figs, instead, corn is used which was introduced to France by Christopher Columbus.
France is well known for its traditional foie gras production. In the 16th and 17th century Foie Gras conquered the discerning palates of the world. As early as the 18th century, Toulouse and Strasbourg were rivals in earning the reputation for the finest Foie Gras. Nevertheless it was in Strasbourg in 1780, under the reign of Louis XVI, that the Foie Gras Pâté was truly presented as such to the world by J.P. Clause, gifted cook to the governor of Alsace, the Marshall of Contades. There are 2 different types of Foie Gras: Foie Gras d'Oie (goose Foie Gras) and Foie Gras de Canard (duck Foie Gras). Goose Foie Gras has a very rich and subtle taste, whereas duck Foie Gras contains less fat and has stronger flavour and richer aroma.
Nowadays Foie Gras could be found in different quality, the best of which is Grade A
by Stéphane Reynaud
makes the sauce for Duck With Cherries particularly satiny.
Most chefs tend to put duck on their menus in fall or winter, but you can also cook duck in summer, pairing the meat with ripe apricots, peaches or cherries. You can marinate the apricots in garlic and thyme, then serve them alongside slices of golden, crispy-skinned duck and a bright cherry sauce.
It's almost impossible to overcook duck legs - so try this rich, slow-roasted dish 
SERVES 4
SERVES 8
SERVES 4
SERVE: 75 hors d'oeuvres
Ingredients:
