Deveining and seasoning a lobe of foie gras

The preparation of the fattened liver of the duck or goose belongs to the South-West of France, Gascony, Périgord and the Landes above all, where the fattening of geese and ducks is a long rural practice. The classical kitchen inherited the work of opening the lobe, removing its veins and seasoning it before cooking as the first stage of the terrine, the foie gras au torchon and the escalope. Joël Robuchon, in The Complete Robuchon, treats it as a preparatory discipline on which the finished terrine depends.

The foie gras is the liver of the fattened duck (Anas platyrhynchos, the mulard cross) or of the goose (Anser anser domesticus), sold in two lobes joined at the base, the larger lobe and the smaller. Deveining removes the network of blood vessels that runs through each lobe from the thick end, together with any green-stained patches of bile and bruised flesh. The lobe is then seasoned with fine salt, ground white pepper and, as the cook chooses, a measure of spirit such as Armagnac, Cognac or port, before it is pressed back into shape for cooking.

Foie gras is eaten with a sweet and acid counterpoint: a fig or onion confit, a reduction of Sauternes or port, or toasted brioche or pain de campagne. A sweet white wine such as Sauternes, Monbazillac or Jurançon is the classic pairing. The structural reason is that the richness of the fat requires both sweetness to match it and acidity to cut it, while the toasted bread gives a dry, crisp contrast to the melting texture.