In a nutshell, this is a delicious liver pate. For its preparation, birds are fattened according to a special technology so that the organ has the necessary consistency.

It is believed that the goose dish is more delicate, with a creamy taste, while the duck dish has a pronounced taste and musky aroma. Opinions on which of them is better are divided, but the second option is more common due to the more profitable, from an economic point of view, production.

Thus, goose liver foie gras is rightfully considered gastronomic chic and only rich people can try it.

The dish in its current form is due to the French chef Clause Jean-Pierre, who served at the court of de Contada (a marquis during the time of Louis 16th). He served his master goose liver in a seasoned dough, which pleasantly surprised him and laid the foundation for all subsequent recipes.

But initially, the taste characteristics of the liver in fattened birds were noticed by the Egyptians about 4000 years ago.

Migratory geese made stops on the banks of the Nile and prepared for the long journey by eating figs. As a result, their liver greatly increased in size, became fatty and juicy. The experience was successfully transferred to poultry, which were fed this fruit for several weeks, getting the same effect.

The technology was adopted by the Jews, then it was borrowed by the Romans, and from there it came to France, and then to other countries.

Tricks of choice

How to raise a bird, you already know. But not everyone can boast of having a household. Fortunately, this delicacy can be bought or ordered online.

Today there are seven types of product:

Whole, consisting of one or two livers. The cut has a uniform texture.
From pressed pieces from different birds. Marble coloring.
Blok - a paste with a uniform taste, which includes the liver of several individuals.
Block - whole pieces are added to the finished paste, which are clearly visible in the section.
Mousse - bird fat is added to the paste.
Pate, at least half consisting of the liver.
Parfait - in this case, its share in the product is 75% or more.

One of the main distinguishing features of foie gras is its presentation:

Raw. This serving is considered symbolic for French cooking and is mainly associated with Christmas. The liver is served on a plate in the form of portioned pieces as a cold appetizer.
Fresh liver. A daily dish that is sold in earthenware or ceramic dishes on the counters in grocery stores. Served naturally or processed according to a culinary recipe.
Pasteurized. In the form of a semi-finished product requiring a certain processing. The product is sold in glassware, which, after withdrawal, can be refrigerated from 2 weeks to 6 months.
Canned. Perhaps the best way to combine a semi-finished product with a finished dish. It is stored only in its juice for many years. You need a cool room without penetrating rays of light.

This is a rather fatty product, however, the dish is perfectly processed by the body due to the content of various acids. You just need to pair the right foods served with foie-gras.

What do they eat with

Foie gras regular

Such a dish goes well with sour sauce as part of the filling of a baked pie, along with vegetables or even fruits.

"Bloc des Foie-gras"

Unlike the first option, the liver is not served as a whole piece, but cut into portions. It is not put on the table as an independent cold dish, but served hot, pre-soaked in Armagnac, garnished with fruits and sour vegetables.

Parfait de foie gras

A mixture of different types of liver: duck, goose, pork or beef. Served as an independent cold dish in the form of a pate. It is good to feast on them in the morning or in the evening, when it is time to drink parfait (sour drink). You can add a warmed baguette or just a sandwich with herbs and lemon slices.

If the pork liver is left, you can make a separate dish. It is very tasty. We offer you a simple. According to these recipes, you can cook other types of liver.

Mousse foie gras

In addition to goose or duck liver, vegetables or mushrooms are often added to this product. It also serves as a cold snack. Served in bowls with thinly sliced toast (for beauty), or as a filling for eclair buns.

If this is an independent dish, then its portion does not exceed 150 grams, and if it acts as an additional snack, then no more than 50 grams. Always use fresh vegetables or herbs for decoration.

How to use

When you come to a restaurant and order such a chic dish, you need to know the rules for handling it. In France, it is served with many different salads with fragrant dressings and herbs.

You should not use ketchup or pour mayonnaise on the treat - this is bad form. In addition, you can mortally offend the cook.

Foie gras is eaten as it is served, with the addition of a certain sauce in the ideal proportion. No other additives are required. Only salt, sugar and spices are allowed as seasoning.

Champagne, Sauternes, liqueur and grape vodka can be ordered with the dish.
Below are some foie gras recipes. You can serve these dishes with warm white bread, toast, baked apples, fried onions and mushrooms. Fruit and berry sauces, jams (especially from figs) and marmalade are ideally combined with the taste of the liver.

fried

The following products must be present:

Duck liver 500 g
Olive oil 2 tbsp
Garlic 4 tooth.
cilantro and bay leaf taste
Salt and pepper to taste
Boiled spinach to taste
Chervil to taste

We cook the sauce:

A pot of water (500 ml) and grated garlic cloves.
Cook over low heat with the addition of oil, pepper, bay leaf and salt.
Strain after cooking.
Dip the herbs in boiling water and pour into a blender, add spinach and garlic broth.
Place the prepared sauce in the refrigerator.

Now foie gras:

We cut the liver into slices.
Fry in a dry frying pan, constantly removing fat.
Put on a plate and pour over the sauce.

Traditional pâté with white wine

For cooking you need:

White wine "Sauternes" 100 g
Goose liver 1 kg
Truffle 1 pc.
pepper pinch
Salt pinch

Leave the liver in cold water overnight.
In the morning we cut the liver into pieces and fill it with wine (pickled for 2-3 hours).
We heat the oven to 95 degrees.
We put the liver in a separate container and put everything in a frying pan along with water.
It is sent to the oven (the meat should warm up to a temperature of 45 degrees).
Drain the fat into a separate bowl.
We put the pate in the refrigerator (it costs about 2 days).
Serve warm.
Pour the remaining part with the set aside fat and can be sent back to storage in the refrigerator.

Hot with grapes

Goose liver 600 g
orange for juice 1 PC.
Grapes 10 berries
Salt, pepper to taste

The liver is cut into thin (about 1 cm) slices, salted, peppered. The pan is put on fire, also sprinkled with salt and smeared with lard and olive oil. Pieces are fried from different sides for 5 seconds in 4-5 passes.

Arrange them nicely on a plate. In the meantime, the grapes need to be pitted, poured into a pan, pour juice and warm for half a minute. Pour this sauce over foie gras, garnish with parsley, basil or mint leaves.

with truffles

The recipe is expensive but worth it.

Liver 600 g
Truffle 1-2 pcs.
Ground beef 300 g
goose fat

Clean the liver, stuff with minced meat with the addition of mushrooms. Fry in fat and cut after cooling.

Interested in French cuisine? Then figure out how to make foie gras.

What it is?

Foie gras is the fatty liver of fattened geese or ducks. By the way, the name is translated from French as “fatty liver”, so it fully reflects the essence of the product.

Birds are fattened in a special way, and this process cannot be called humane. First, geese and ducks feed naturally, then they are locked in cramped cages (thus movement and energy expenditure are limited) and fed starch- and protein-rich food. And the last stage is forced forced fattening. A special “gavage” pipe is placed directly into the bird’s throat, through which grain and fat are fed daily, and the volume exceeds the norm by 10 times!

The result is an exquisite delicacy that is popular not only in France, but throughout the world. One liver weighs about 500-700 grams, and the volume of fat in it reaches 40%. The hue can vary from pale yellow to light pink, and the structure is dense, but at the same time very delicate.

How to cook?

How to cook foie gras? There are many ways, and several will be discussed below.

Method number 1

You can cook fried foie gras. For this you will need:

200 grams of foie gras;
2-3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (it is best to use olive oil);
3-4 lettuce leaves;
a pinch of Provence herbs;
salt to taste.

Cooking:

First, the liver must be washed well and cleaned of all veins. Next, salt it a little and rub it with Provence herbs. But do not overdo it with seasonings, they can kill the taste of the most important ingredient.
Cut the foie gras into small slices about 1.5 centimeters thick.
Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan and fry the liver on it. How long to fry such a product? Since it has a delicate texture, literally a couple of minutes on each side is enough.
Serve fried foie gras on lettuce leaves.

Method number 2

From the fatty liver of a duck or goose, you can make the most delicate pate.

List of required ingredients:

600 grams of fatty duck or goose liver;
70-80 grams of goose or duck fat;
1 head of onion;
any seasonings to taste, for example, basil or Provence herbs;
salt to taste.

Step-by-step instruction:

Wash the liver, clean from the veins and cut into slices.
Peel the onion and chop finely.
Melt the fat in a frying pan and first fry the onion in it until soft, and then the liver. If desired, you can stew the ingredients under the lid for a couple of minutes to make them more tender. At the end or a minute before they are fully cooked, salt and season them.
Now place all the components in a blender or meat grinder and grind to end up with a homogeneous mass.
Serving such a tender pate is best served with hot crispy toast, it's very tasty!

Method number 3

Prepare delicious spicy foie gras with wine sauce. For this you will need:

400 grams of duck or goose liver;
ground black pepper;
coarse salt (you can use sea salt);
70 ml of wine (it is better to use white, it is lighter and has a mild taste);
30-40 ml of wine vinegar;
a pinch of Provence herbs or other seasoning of your choice

Description of the cooking process:

First, properly prepare the liver: wash it, remove the veins and cut into medium-sized slices.
Prepare the sauce. To do this, simply mix wine, seasonings, wine vinegar and black pepper.
Lightly heat the salt in a frying pan, then lay out the liver and fry until tender.
Pour the foie gras with sauce and simmer for literally two minutes, and then serve.

Method number 4

This recipe is very unusual, as it involves the use of berries. But the taste of the dish is simply amazing!

List of required ingredients:

500 grams of foie gras;
300-400 grams of berries (for example, viburnum, strawberries, mountain ash, and so on);
3-4 tablespoons of sugar;
4 tablespoons of water;
3 leaves of fresh mint;
salt;
seasonings to taste.

Cooking:

The liver must be washed and cleaned of veins, and then cooked in any way convenient for you, for example, fry in a pan or send it to an oven preheated to 180 degrees for 20 minutes, after wrapping it in foil (so the product will retain juiciness). Before cooking, salt and season the foie gras, but not too much.
Now move on to preparing the berries. They need to be washed well and put in a pan, sprinkled with sugar. When they start up the juice, add water and cook everything until it thickens.
Place the foie gras on a plate cut into portions and pour over the berry sauce. Garnish the dish with mint leaves.

Method number 5

Prepare delicious and unusual pickled foie gras. Here's what you need for this:

600 grams of duck fatty liver;
500 ml of wine;
basil, herbs de Provence and nutmeg to taste (a little of everything);
salt.

Instruction:

Wash the liver and clean it from the veins, season it and salt it, place it in any container and pour it with wine. In principle, you can choose any other alcoholic drink, depending on your preferences.
Leave the foie gras to marinate overnight.
Next, wrap the liver with foil and send it to the oven preheated to 180 degrees. But place a container of water under the baking dish to make the heat treatment softer.

Method number 6

Delicious and unusual in taste, foie gras with grapes will turn out.

Required Ingredients:

300 grams of fatty goose liver;
100 grams of grapes (it is desirable to use a seedless variety);
1 tablespoon of olive oil;
salt to taste.

Process description:

Wash the liver in running water and remove the veins. Wash and dry the grapes too.
Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the liver along with the grapes.
You can serve this dish with any sauce, for example, sweet and sour.

Treat yourself, guests and loved ones with delicious dishes!

One of the symbols of culinary chic and luxurious feast is foie gras. Not so long ago, we could only come across this name on the pages of French novels, but now this dish is included in the menu of most elite restaurants. So, what is the mysterious foie gras and is it necessary to go to restaurants to enjoy this unique taste?

This product got its name in France and literally means "fatty liver". The French consider it their national treasure, along with truffles and caviar. But before them, the merits of foie gras were appreciated in ancient Rome and Egypt, and the first mention of it appeared five thousand years ago. Jews brought the mysterious recipe to the southwest of France and Wales. Goose foie gras was “introduced” to the King of France and has enjoyed enduring popularity and success ever since.

How to eat foie gras

This wonderful appetizer will decorate your holiday table. But any dish must not only be properly prepared, but also served. Let's look at how to serve foie gras. There are several traditional options for serving this dish:

serving cold: served whole, cut into portions already on the table with a thin knife (the width of the pieces is not more than 1 cm). This is done in order to preserve the maximum aroma and taste of cold snacks;
freshly prepared liver is served hot or warm in earthenware (ceramic) dishes;
the canned product is removed from the jar, which must be taken out of the cold in advance so that it warms to room temperature. It is cut into portioned pieces at the rate of 50-70 gr. per person.

As an independent dish, foie gras is rarely used (with the exception of Foie Gras Antire and Alsatian Foie Gras). The delicacy goes well with pumpkin puree, figs (including jam from them), fruit sauces, baked apple, mushrooms, caramelized chestnuts, grapes. Patés, parfait and foie gras mousse are also very popular. Mousse is used as a basis for cooking other dishes.

Features and benefits of foie gras

Having learned how much foie gras costs, many are immediately interested in the question, what is special about, albeit fatty, goose liver? The peculiarity lies in the special fattening of the bird. Their food consists of foods rich in proteins (figs, nuts, corn, etc.). As a result, the liver is not only fatty, but also has the richest chemical composition, fatty acids, B vitamins, trace elements (phosphorus, iron, potassium, and many others). This product slows down aging, has an excellent effect on the condition of hair, skin and nails.

By the way, animal welfare organizations (PETA, HSUS) called for a ban on the production of this delicacy due to the cruelty of the method of artificial feeding (gavage). Of course, everyone decides for himself, but then it’s worth banning keeping animals in captivity altogether, eating live oysters, cooking turtle soup, etc.

Secrets of making foie gras: a recipe at home

The liver is prepared in a variety of ways. Every famous chef, when preparing liver foie gras, uses his favorite recipe. For example, culinary guru Jean-Pierrot Kloza advises simmering spiced foie gras in goose fat. There are many author's recipes, with intricate (not always understandable and accessible) products, but many and quite understandable.

Here is a recipe for foie gras at home, which is quite easy to implement. The liver should be delicately salted, sprinkled with your favorite spices and stewed in a deep frying pan, adding milk and honey to it. The finished dish is cut with a hot knife, eaten with fresh bread, you can diversify with berry sauces.

To briefly answer the question of how to cook foie gras - as you want! It can be fried and baked, made into pate or mousse, marinated and stuffed.

We will give you some tips on how to cook this product at home and not spoil it. After all, such a product as foie gras has a rather significant cost:

before cooking, carefully clean the liver from films, veins, veins, excess fat;
from spices it is recommended to use salt, pepper, Provence herbs, wine. Everything should be added in moderation so as not to interrupt the most delicate taste and aroma of the product;
when preparing snacks, you should not try the liver, it is simply useless, because when it has cooled down, it will acquire a completely different taste;
it is best to fry foie gras on goose fat, for lack of it, you can use olive oil;
the finished dish should have a golden crust and a pink middle. If the foie gras is gray, it is overcooked;
you need to bake the liver in the oven only in preheated (180 gr.), The baking time is no more than 15 minutes;
if you want to use the delicacy without subjecting it to heat treatment, you should take into account that the liver is salted and marinated for at least a day.

Cook with love, eat with pleasure and enjoy a healthy, extremely tasty and fragrant dish!

Everyone associates a popular delicacy called foie gras with the famous homeland of frog legs - with France. A light pink dish with a creamy flavor is obtained from the liver of a goose or duck. The bird is grown in a special way on farms, and therefore its liver is enlarged up to 10 times compared to normal.

So - foie gras, what is it? Let's talk about the interesting origin and features of the dish further..

History of foie gras

The ancestor of the amazing aristocratic treat was France, however, the ancient Egyptians made attempts to prepare it for the first time. The inhabitants of the country of the pharaohs were already able to notice that the liver of a wild duck, which gained weight before the flight, or goose, has a delicate taste.

Some time passed, and the food began to spread throughout the world. Talented chefs from France have improved the classic recipe and brought it to the ideal. So, in the 18th century, the marquis, in preparation for the reception of high-ranking officials, ordered his cooks to cook something unusual that could surprise the elite.

After painful reflections, the cooks decided to test the recipe of the Egyptians. They combined lard and bird liver, and then applied the mixture as a filling to the most tender dough. The dish instantly received rave reviews and fame around the world, it began to be prepared in almost every country. As a result, in this country, for the first time, foie gras began to be prepared on an industrial scale.

Goose Liver Traditions

Today it is customary to often spend time in restaurants and cafes. Whether it's business negotiations, a date or a celebration, the ability to eat gourmet dishes will never put a person in an awkward situation. Knowledge will be useful if you plan to arrange an original feast with unusual dishes at home.

Goose liver is served in several ways:

Fresh. This dish is considered everyday in French cuisine. The type of cooking is chosen as desired, as it will never spoil the pronounced original taste of the liver. It is customary to serve it in ceramic or earthenware.
Raw. A traditional symbol of Christmas and the gastronomic chic of France. The liver is certainly served whole, and during serving it is divided into pieces. It is a cold appetizer.
Canned foie gras. The most affordable type of goose liver, which is a combination of a semi-finished product and a finished product. It is stored in its own juice for several years.
Pasteurized foie gras. This semi-finished product requires processing. It can be purchased at the supermarket because it has a long shelf life.

Knowing how to eat and serve foie gras is only part of the culture. In order for the enjoyment of the delicacy to become absolute, it is necessary to correctly prepare and combine it with other products. Alsatian foie gras is considered the only type of independent dish, served raw and garnished with green onions, pumpkin or scallops (an example of an attractive dish is in the photo).

Feeding poultry for foie gras

To get the right goose liver, a lot of effort is put into fattening the bird. In France, special farms are provided for this. The fattening procedure is divided into three stages. During the first couple of weeks, the chicks eat normally. Then they lock themselves in cells and begin to introduce components enriched with starch and protein into their diet.

When they reach 8-10 weeks of age, the "gavage" stage begins, meaning force-feeding. Food is pushed through a special tube to the bird. At the same time, the amount of feed is about 1.8 kg of fat and grain every day, and this is 10 times higher than the norm! After 12 - 21 days, the animals are sent for slaughter.

In some farms, it is customary to use a slightly different fattening technique. The birds are kept in rooms lined with straw and released to pastures. Gavage here starts from 12 - 13 weeks of age, when the weight has reached one kilogram. The food is corn. After 14 - 18 days, the bird is slaughtered, and the liver is immediately processed. So, the taste is more refined, and, of course, such foie gras is more expensive.

Cooking goose liver at home

In fact, there are many cooking methods, from the classic recipe to parfait and mousse. Today, women have learned how to cook duck and chicken liver pate, foie gras escalopes at home. Of course, the taste distinguishes them from the original recipe, but it can be used as an alternative to the delicacy.

Foie gras classic:

Cooking steps:

450 g of the liver is soaked in milk, and then stuffed with finely chopped pieces of mushroom. The product is abundantly poured with cognac before being sent for pickling.
The fillet and the rest of the liver are passed three times in a meat grinder through the smallest grate. This is necessary to obtain the softest consistency. Then the cognac used for the marinade is mixed into the minced meat, the mass is salted and peppered.
The bottom and walls of a round shape are covered with a layer of minced meat, and pieces of the liver are laid inside and covered with the rest of the minced meat. The top is covered with lard and bay leaf.
The form is sent to a water bath in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then the fat with bay leaf is removed, and the dish will remain in an appetizing fatty shell.

The recipe involves serving minced foie gras cold.

Fried foie gras

450 duck liver;
salt, pepper and lettuce.

The liver is cut in half and sent to the refrigerator for forty minutes.
Then the product is salted and peppered, and then sent to a heated pan.
Each side is fried for about a few minutes, and then placed in the oven for 20 minutes on a steam bath.

The finished dish is garnished with lettuce leaves.

Housewives should remember that during frying it is not necessary to pour oil. During heat treatment, the liver secretes its own fat and cooks in it. During cooking in the oven every 5 minutes foie gras is poured with its own fat.

Foie gras tender chicken liver

500 g of liver;
1 glass of milk;
olive oil;
70 g of onions;
1 clove of garlic;
200 g of champignons;
1/3 cup dry white wine;
4 tbsp. l. butter;
chicken fat;
salt, spices.

Cooking:

If you fill the pate with poultry fat, it can be stored at home for up to 2 months.

Foie gras with wild berry sauce

1 PC. foie gras;
2 - 5 tablespoons of sugar;
400 g of a mixture of wild berries;
2 - 4 tablespoons of water;
spices and mint leaves.

Cooking:

Wild berries are laid out in a pan and sprinkled with sugar. They are mixed and filled with water. Cook until thickened over medium flame.
Foie gras is cut into slices 2 cm thick, and then spread on a preheated pan, sprinkled with spices and fried for a minute on each side. The finished dish is laid out on plates, poured with sauce and decorated with mint leaves.

Foie gras with pears

400 g fresh foie gras;
2 hard pears;
2 oranges;
1 lemon;
2 - 3 cloves;
cinnamon;
spices.

Cooking:

Product benefits

Goose liver contains many amino acids and vitamins, but they are not considered the main reason for the popularity of the product. However, fans should be aware that:

Daily use of foie gras eliminates the appearance of atherosclerosis.
The department called Landes has the highest percentage of centenarians. The production and use of foie gras here is 22% of the world volume.
The presence of a huge number of PUFAs reduces blood cholesterol levels.
Duck liver is considered the champion in the number of B vitamins. They contribute to the normalization of the functioning of the nervous system and improve metabolism.

Proper preparation of the dish provides the body with a daily norm of minerals and vitamins.

Conclusion

You can always enjoy the most delicate taste of a unique product. If you know how to cook foie gras correctly and own various recipes, you can create a holiday for yourself, even without going to restaurants. After all, you see, it’s much more pleasant to eat dishes prepared with your own hands with love.

France - the birthplace of foie gras - is associated with this iconic dish no less than with champagne. All gourmets who come to the homeland of Dumas and Voltaire dream of trying the famous culinary delight.

True, there are many people among tourists who only vaguely imagine what foie gras is and what this delicacy looks like. So, it's time to break the veil of secrecy and reveal the main secrets of the famous French national dish.

What is foie gras made from?

Foie gras is translated from French as "fatty liver", and the name of the dish best describes its essence. For a delicacy, they take the liver of fattened geese or ducks, and of the latter in France, only two types are chosen: musky and mulard duck. However, the main features are not in the breed of the bird, but in the technology of its cultivation.

90% of all foie gras in the world is made from duck liver and only 10% from goose.

So, how are geese and ducks fattened for foie gras? There has been controversy around this issue for decades. Special indignation is expressed by the defenders of wildlife, who find the whole process of raising birds unethical and cruel. It is divided into several stages:

during the first month, rapid growth of chicks is achieved through habitual feeding;
in the following month, the birds are caged and given protein-rich food (to provoke accelerated growth);
2-3 weeks before slaughter, ducks and geese are forcibly fed, manually, several times a day (food is pushed down the throat with a special device, and the amount of feed is 10 times higher than normal).

In this way, a kind of imitation of the natural propensity of birds to overeat when they are preparing for the flight is achieved. As a result, the liver enlarges, acquiring a characteristic smooth texture and delicate taste.

The ban on foie gras is in effect in more than 10 countries around the world, for example, in the UK, Germany and Austria, Denmark, Norway, and Finland.

The size of the liver intended for foie gras can be ten times the size of a regular goose or duck. And the process of raising poultry to produce a delicacy is so expensive that it becomes clear why foie gras is so expensive. In French stores, it is usually sold at a price of 20 €. At the same time, the cost of duck foie gras is lower than that of goose by about 20-30%.

A bit of foie gras history

Although foie gras from goose liver is called a French delicacy, its history dates back to ancient Egypt. It was there that they first began to domesticate birds and force-feed them in order to cook delicacies for their pharaoh.

The same was done in ancient Greece and in ancient Rome. True, after the fall of the Roman Empire, the tradition of cooking fatty liver was forgotten for a long time, then to be remembered again - in France.

According to a popular legend, once the Marquis de Contade ordered his chef to surprise the guests with authentic French cuisine, and he prepared an exquisite “paté de foie gras”. After the ensuing culinary triumph, they decided to send the delicacy to Louis XVI himself. The approval of the monarch finally decided the fate of foie gras - it entered the list of the main ones and became a truly cult food. It was in the second half of the 18th century.

France is the largest producer and consumer of goose and duck liver. The country accounts for about 75% of the world's foie gras production.

Varieties of foie gras

In France, you can find foie gras in four degrees of readiness:

raw (cru) - has a short shelf life and is in demand in cooking;
fresh (frais) - has undergone heat treatment at a temperature of 50 to 60 degrees;
partially cooked (mi-cuit) - heat-treated at 80 degrees and placed in a rigid or vacuum package;
ready, or canned (en conserve) - processed at 105 degrees, packaged in jars, sterilized in an autoclave, stored for several years.

In addition, in France, all types of products that are produced using bird liver are fixed at the legislative level. There are seven in total, ranging from whole foie gras (foie gras entier) to emulsion, which is allowed to add fat (mousse de foie gras). Separately, it is worth mentioning such popular products as pate (pâté de foie gras) with a foie gras content of at least 50% and parfait (parfait de foie gras), which consists of 75% gourmet raw materials.

Fake foie gras known around the world: Belgian Faux Gras and French Tofoie Gras are both plant-based.

How foie gras is served in France

You can taste foie gras both chilled and hot. A myriad of dishes are prepared with and from it - these are terrines (pates), and fried liver with sauce, as well as a wide variety of combinations with game and meat, seafood. Different types of foie gras are used as fillings for pies, sandwiches and even savory buns.

Traditionally in France, foie gras is eaten at the very beginning of the meal. In order for the delicacy to fully show its exquisite taste and delicate aroma, it is placed on a pre-chilled plate before serving.

Calorie content of foie gras is approximately 460-540 kcal per 100 g.

And here it is, the most difficult question: what is served with foie gras in France? There are many options, because each of the 7 varieties of delicacy has its own characteristics of use. For example, a delicate parfait made from a mixture of goose or duck liver with beef and / or pork is complemented with a warm baguette or spread on a sandwich, decorating with herbs and a slice of lemon.

The classic foie gras entier in France is served as a separate cold appetizer and is usually combined with white dense bread. In this case, you need to cut off a piece no more than 1 cm thick and carefully place it on a warm or toasted bread slice.

An ideal accompaniment to foie gras dishes is the creamy Beurre Blanc sauce (prepared with white wine). The taste is perfectly complemented by sweet and sour fruit and berry jams, jams, sauces and jellies. The most common fig jam is a true French classic. Other possible additions include truffles, baked apples, fried mushrooms, onion chutney, caramelized chestnuts.

Separately, it is necessary to mention the wine for foie gras - there are no less variations here than with the serving of the dish itself. Despite the fact that in France the combination of foie gras with white Sauternes is considered traditional, in principle any sour, sweet-sour and sweet wines are suitable for the delicacy.

For example, for terrine you may be recommended Chardonnay or, for fried liver - Pinot Noir, Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon. The field for experimentation is truly enormous, especially since, depending on the type of foie gras (duck / goose, cold / hot, with meat / fruit, etc.), completely different ones are suitable for it.

The highest quality delicacy is made in three regions of France: in the Gascony Landes from the Toulouse goose and the local mulard duck, in the west of the country in the Vendée from duck liver and in Alsace from the Strasbourg goose.

The cost of foie gras in Paris

It is difficult to answer exactly how much foie gras costs in Paris. It all depends on where and in what form you will buy a delicacy. For example, in the popular Monoprix chain of stores, prices for popular brands look like this:

Labeyrie (20-30 € for 130-300 g);
Monoprix Gourmet (13-37 € for 125-450 g);
Jean Larnaudie (10-15 € for 130-200 g);
Montfort (18-35 € for 200 g).

One of the largest producers of foie gras in France is Labeyrie, founded in 1946..

In the gastronomic "Mecca" of Paris - the Fauchon gourmet shop - prices can be an order of magnitude higher. It sells both luxurious gift sets with foie gras, wine and sweets (60-300 €), as well as neat little jars with goose and duck liver (from 17 € and more).

Another iconic place in Paris is the old Hédiard grocery store. Gift sets with foie gras can be bought here for 25-60 €, while classic foie gras entier in jars of 50 g (90 g) costs 11 € (18 €).

And finally, about how much foie gras costs in a restaurant. One of the cheapest ways to sample the famous delicacy in the French capital is to stop by Le Bouillon Chartier, where bloc de foie gras de canard is served for just €7.40.

Another one is Domaine de Lintillac. The menu includes all types of duck meat, from pâtés to several varieties of foie gras. For example, pâté de foie gras costs €8.70, foie gras carpaccio €14.70, a serving for four (served in a glass jar) €44.

The cost of foie gras dishes in Parisian mid-range restaurants varies from 15 to 20 €.

It will no longer be possible to save on gastronomic pleasure. So, in the Victoria Paris restaurant, near the Arc de Triomphe, you can try a foie gras terrine with chutney and a warm brioche bun for 24 €.

At the legendary Cafe de la Paix you will be treated to foie gras with a sauce of grapes and dried fruits with toasted farm bread for 36 €. And at Grand Véfour, famous for 200 years, you can enjoy delicious foie gras ravioli with truffle cream for 98 €.

But still, the most popular place in Paris, where all connoisseurs of the delicacy strive to get, is the Comptoir de la Gastronomie. They say that it is here that the best foie gras is made in the capital of France. By the way, the prices in the restaurant are relatively low, only 17-19 €.

The benefits and harms of foie gras

First of all, it is customary to talk about the benefits of foie gras. It contains an abundance of vitamins and nutrients, such as calcium, magnesium, zinc and phosphorus. In addition, duck and goose liver have few carbohydrates and a lot of unsaturated fatty acids - the latter are necessary for cell nutrition.

However, Western doctors, journalists and bloggers are increasingly talking about the dangers of eating foie gras. A 60g serving of the delicacy contains 25g of fat and 85mg of cholesterol, while a 100g McDonald's hamburger is only 9g of fat and 25mg of cholesterol.

The so-called “amyloid factor” is also often recalled: due to the specific method of rearing birds, substances accumulate in their liver that can provoke the development of Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis and diabetes in humans. True, such a risk matters only with the frequent use of foie gras in food and if a person has a hereditary predisposition.

In turn, France draws a parallel between the low mortality rate from cardiovascular diseases and the addiction of the country's citizens to foie gras. But be that as it may, it is already impossible to imagine the homeland of Dumas without a national delicacy, and whether or not to try the famous dish is up to you.