How should I serve foie gras?

5 ways to add it to your menu 

Whether served simply at home or as part of a special dish prepared by a top chef, foie gras is always a favorite. However it is prepared, it is important not to distort its unique and delicate flavor.  Here are five recipe suggestions for serving foie gras that will delight even the most discerning gourmets! 

1- Enjoy a slice of foie gras with fresh toast 

A little foie gras on a slice of freshly toasted white bread is one of life’s finest pleasures but why be confined by tradition?  There are so many types of delicious bread that are readily available, so feel free to tantalize your taste buds by substituting perhaps fruit bread, nutty bread or even gingerbread?

Don’t forget, whichever type of bread you choose to experiment with, delicately place a thin slice of foie gras on the bread with softness and tenderness …. spreading foie gras is sacrilege! 

2- Combine foie gras with a little chutney 

Every hedonist has experienced it: a terrine of foie gras is a maelstrom of sweet and sour combinations. And while it remains a bit of a novelty, the marriage of foie gras with onion confit is a hit,. So why not try serving apple, passion fruit or fig chutney with this wonderful dish? The sweet and sour flavor of these delicately vinegared marmalades compliments perfectly the roundness of the foie gras, giving it a surprising vivacity. What better way to savor a robust foie gras from the Landes region? 

3- Serve foie gras in a fresh salad 

In France, we immediately think of the traditional Périgord salad, one of our finest dishes.  Here, foie gras, the king of gastronomy sits resplendent atop oak leaf lettuce, slices of smoked duck breast and candied gizzards. Even better when crowned with some crunchy walnuts or potatoes sautéed in duck fat! 

But why stop there?  For a really hearty and simple to prepare starter, slip some foie gras into a salad of mixed baby leaves, garnish with slices of fresh pear and drizzle with an orange vinaigrette.  Decorated with a few edible nasturtium flowers on the side, this really is a dish to impress your guests.  

4- Enhance your duck with a foie gras sauce 

There's nothing like a foie gras sauce to top your duck breast, wings or a tournedos for a special occasion! 

Simply melt whole foie gras cubes in some liquid cream over a low heat along with half a chicken stock cube, a dash of Armagnac and a pinch of Espelette pepper (or paprika). You can also serve this sauce with pasta – and with a few shavings of truffle, it’s a food combination to die for! 

5- Reinvent panna cotta with a block of foie gras 

For a breathtaking Christmas treat you cannot beat the trompe-l'oeil effect of a foie gras panna cotta: served with young shoots in walnut oil, it will blow the minds of your guests. Soak 2 sheets of gelatin in very cold water, add them to 30 cl of hot liquid cream, then add 200 g of foie gras. Mix and place in verrine glasses before allowing them to set in the fridge. Serve chilled with a glass of sweet wine such as a Sauternes! 

However you choose to enjoy your foie gras, always remember that while a variety of high quality pates exist, nothing will come close to the unique richness and great taste of a freshly cooked duck or goose liver.