Which Fruits go with Foie Gras?

Chefs of luxury restaurants in the South-West of France love to use fruits as accompaniments to foie gras to surprise and delight their diners: using rich fruity sauces enables them to escape from the trappings of traditional recipes (like foie gras with truffles and Sauternes) to invent and present new associations of flavors.

A dish combining hot, sweet, caramelized fruit with the freshness of a slice of fresh foie gras terrine provides for the perfect taste experience! 

Whether cooked, part-cooked or pan-fried, foie gras benefits from being served alongside fruity flavors which enhance it like never before. So, which fruits go with foie gras? And how do we succeed with the perfect marriage of sweet and sour? Here are the top 4 most magical gourmet combinations. 

1- Figs: stuffed with foie gras, pure indulgence

Have you ever fallen for a fig stuffed with foie gras? Sweet and tangy, the fruit of the common fig tree matches perfectly with the natural and balanced taste of a preserved foie gras - like Espinet’s foie gras from the Périgord. Moreover, the fig’s low sugar content reveals all the subtlety of the liver without overpowering.

So, how best to prepare these delicate fruits with their smooth flesh? Simply roast in butter with a drizzle of honey! The only drawback is that they are in season only from July to September, a time when foie gras rarely appears on our tables!

Fortunately, dried figs work equally well with foie gras: add them to homemade bread, for example, or make a delicious fig purée with red wine that will taste sublime with a terrine! 

Don’t forget, for a quick but indulgent snack in front of the TV, there is always duck foie gras on toast with a side of fig jam! 

2- Pear and apple: the fruits for spicy toast

Fruits and foie gras enjoy a tenderly symbiotic relationship. However, with the pear and apple, it actually borders on passion! These juicy and melting fruits can be caramelized in a pan with a little brown sugar: combined with a pan-fried or preserved foie gras it will take you to a culinary heaven! The pear is also particularly good in spicy combinations: try adding a touch of ginger or putting thin slices of pear on some gingerbread.

A suggestion for a perfect recipe? On a slice of toasted Vendée brioche covered with ginger chutney, place a few slices of pan-fried William pears, small pieces of foie gras from the Southwest and some walnut pieces. 

3- Grapes: original and rustic with duck foie gras.

The vine and the duck have much in common. Symbolic of the land, passion and know-how, both are the pride of French gastronomic heritage. What could be more natural than eating foie gras with a few grapes? Crunchy and juicy, they bring an undeniable freshness to a pan-fried escalope, some duck foie gras and even our delicate and refined goose foie gras.

Always choose a white grape, discreet enough to match the roundness of the foie gras. Served plain or glazed with port wine or Sauternes, these grapes will add a little bit of fun to your guests' plates! 

4- Mango: adds a cosmopolitan touch to foie gras

Mango doesn't just embellish an exotic fruit salad! Its fragrant orange flesh compliments foie gras in the most of unexpected ways! So, how can we make the most of this colorful tropical fruit? In chutney, of course, but also cut into cubes and candied with honey, the "tropical peach" can be placed between a slice of gingerbread and a powerful Label Rouge duck foie gras from the Landes. Even more daring, a mango-passion fruit jelly whose color and flavor combine to ensure a magnificent and refined presentation and taste experience.

Just a few fruity ideas for new recipes that your guests will relish and remember!