foie gras feature essay

cuisine defines a country. beijing, china is renowned for its unique peking duck. spaghetti, a dish forever synonymous with italy, originated within the southern region of that particular country. france, consequently, boasts a signature dish of its very own. quite a few, in fact. yet amongst the myriad of distinct french delicacies, one reigns supreme - the simplistically exquisite, tantalizingly delightful foie gras.

foie gras entier (a whole cut), pan-seared and capped with a light medley of vegetables

foie gras is, of course, the abnormally fatty liver of a duck or goose, usually the latter. upon initial inspection, the concept may not present a promising culinary experience - what pitiable, ignorant fool could consciously take pleasure in the consumption of an organ delegated to the detoxification of consumed substances, effectively risking the absorption of said toxins into his or her own system! and yet, foie gras delivers what can be described as a "rich, buttery, and delicate" flavor, which is complemented perfectly by the silky texture of the dish. whether it is prepared with duck or goose liver, in the mi cuit (half-cooked) or avec morceaux (bits) method, foie gras substantiates a solid foundation upon which an unappealing organ is transformed into a delectable work of art.

my personal preference lies with the method of preparation termed mi-cuit (half-cooked) , one of the numerous methods of preparation relating to foie gras, as detailed by the website frenchentree.com. now, the final execution does not involve plating a half-cooked liver, as the terminology would  initially appear to indicate; the term mi-cuit simply refers to the condition of the liver before it is prepared and served. Once plated by the chef, the dish itself presents satisfactory aesthetic appeal, centered around the pink-beige medium-thickness slice of fattened liver, garnished with any number of possible artistic touches, including, though certainly not limited to: vegetables, bread, fish, or occasionally even edible truffle! the ingredients of a true culinary delight.

 foie gras truffle mousse croustades with chamomile and dried cherries

but what exactly is foie gras? in a layperson's mind, the term simply translates to "fattened duck or goose liver". yet, if a true expert of the delicacy, such as an executive- or sous-chef of a french restaurant, were to be presented with this question, the reply would evoke the warm embrace of tradition, which feels much like the heart-warming rush of cinnamon in one's mouth, or perhaps the cozy, tickling warmth experienced when sitting by a fireplace, holding a steaming mug of hot chocolate. or so sarah handel, a writer for "blog of the nation", claims. yet before it is served as a dish, foie gras is merely the liver of a goose or duck, fattened beyond comprehension. the liver of either of these migratory birds, similar to that of any other creature, performs detoxification, protein synthesis, and production of the biochemicals necessary for digestion, among other tasks. one of the many other roles the liver plays happens to involve storage of lipids, and it is this role to which attention must be directed for the purpose of this article.

the egyptians, as in many fields, were among the first to experiment in human anatomy. upon discovery of the liver, having accurately surmised its function in the body, they applied the concept to many other creatures; after all, life must follow the same methodology, regardless of species, as long as our comprehension of it remains subject to the physics of this planet. animal livers were a common cuisine at the time. as the taste and texture of the organ were unappealing, the egyptians must have decided to do with the liver of birds (this choice of host was most likely the result of trial and error) what they did with other unappetizing food - add fat. at some point, it is assumed that they discovered the efficiency of feeding the birds to the very edge of their capacity, so that as much fat as possible was retained in the liver. once the bird was sufficiently fattened, the liver was removed and cooked in any of numerous ways, signaling the birth of a famous culinary tradition.
many years later, the practice of force-feeding to fatten birds (and their livers, of course) spread to the mediterranean area, where foie gras was distinguished as a distinct dish by the romans, who named their version iecur ficatum, in which iecur means liver, and ficatum is derived from ficus, the latin term for fig. the name reveals the romans' method of force-feeding, which involved feeding dried figs to the birds. subsequent to the fall of the roman empire, however, a period ensued during which foie gras disappeared from records, not resurfacing until the dish was rediscovered by medieval europeans centuries later. upon its revival, the production of foie gras became controversial, invoking aggression from opponents like jewish dietary laws, among many others. the dish was banned in many areas; the french, however, protected the delicacy and integrated it into the country's culinary tradition.

bas relief scene depicting egyptians force-feeding geese

though the french have no vendetta agaisnt foie gras, the controversy plagues the dish today, even greater in magnitude. indeed, it is widely acknowledged that the production of foie gras presents a cold and bleak prospect for the donors which are also the victims, the ducks and geese from whom the livers are obtained. the premise for the creation, as wikipedia explains, is built upon the migratory birds' capacity for fat storage for their annual southern migration. taking advantage of the birds' expandable throats, producers, explain the sonoma artisans, initially allow them to naturally store fat for the planned winter migration, then, upon climax of the fat-storage process, force-feed the birds using a method called gavage, or 'completion of fattening'. gavage involves individual caging of the birds, followed by the forced-feeding. ducks are generally fed twice daily, geese up to four times a day. the not-by-choice overconsumption tends to stretch the liver to six to ten times its normal size, and storage of the fat in the liver produces steatosis, or abnormal retention of lipids within cells of said organ.obviously, the process of having artificial fatteners forced down one's throat is an unpleasant experience, and that applies to ducks and geese raised for their livers today. no matter how advanced force-feeding technology has become over the years, no matter what energies are exerted to decrease the animals' pains during the process, cases surface every year revealing the suffering of the animals, and posing the issue of whether foie gras should be endorsed. even then,  food blogger dana mccauley poses the question: is gavage actually cruel to the animals? according to her and many supporters of the dish, the birds' throats have no issue swallowing so much feed. rebecca fenson of norfolk, virginia puts it more bluntly, asserting that there is no perfectly humane way to produce foie gras, and taunting critics to "face [the truth]." foie gras essentially embodies the heated conflict between morality and pleasure prominent throughout the  culinary world, though it seems from katy mclaughlin (of the wall street journal)'s description that the delicacy is holding fast.

and so, with the defeat of each case raised against the dish, one of which was chronicled by doctor micheal r. eades on his blog, it appears that foie gras has ingrained itself so deeply in the culinary realm that there is no doubt about a remarkable defense arising for it when the delicacy is targeted by yet another opponent. as my mother replied upon being questioned about her position in the debate: "while the battle will be timeless, our generation's alotted opportunity to enjoy it is not," so let us preview just some of the many methods that can be utilized in the preparation of the dish:

the french, who tend to use geese, prefer low heat while handling foie gras, due to goose fat's tendency to melt rather speedily, and incorporate the liver into terrines, pates, parfaits, foams, and mousses, often enhanced with truffle, mushrooms or brandy. in the new world, duck liver is more common, and because duck liver does not suffer as much from the aforementioned obstacle, most preparations of foie gras in america involve higher temperatures. in some other parts of the world, such as hungary, foie gras is fried in goose fat, with the fat subsequently being poured onto the fried liver, and in virtually every country, foie gras exists as a potential garnish for a famous, heavier local entree. foie gras can be utilized as either the focal point of a dish or as a side. foie gras's versatility, coupled with its unique, delicate taste, provide a mouthwatering experience no matter how it is enjoyed.

 foie gras pate en croute

a recipe for terrine de foie gras
from chef bill telepan

1 goose liver, about 1 lb. 2 oz.
1 tsp. salt
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup or sauternes wine (can substitute other sweet white dessert wine) or cognac
salt and white pepper to taste
sauternes-onion marmalade (optional, for serving) (see recipe that follows)

season the foie gras (goose liver) with salt, pepper and sugar. line a shallow bowl with plastic wrap, drizzle half of the cognac or sauternes in the bowl, add the goose liver and drizzle over the remaining cognac or sauternes. refrigerate overnight.

remove the goose liver from the oven and let stand at room temperature for 15 - 20 minutes. pack the foie gras into the terrine mold, pressing well to make sure there are no air pockets. wrap the entire mold in two layers of plastic rap and place in a larger baking dish. fill the dish with warm water that will come two-thirds up the side of the terrine. cook the terrine in an oven that has been preheated to 275 degrees fahrenheit until the internal temperature reaches 10 degrees (30 - 40 minutes).

remove the plastic wrap from the terrine and carefully pour off the fat from the top of the terrine, reserving the fat in a separate container. cut a piece of cardboard that will fit exactly into the inside of the mold. wrap the cardboard in plastic wrap and place it on top of the terrine pressing gently to remove all of the air bubbles. discard the wrapped cardboard and set a heavy wood black, a second terrine or even a brick on top of the terrine to weigh down the liver. pour off any excess fat and then pour some of the reserved fat over the terrine, using just enough to seal the foie gras so that no liver is exposed to the air. let stand under the weight, refrigerated, for 24 - 48 hours before serving.

to serve, soice the terrine into six or twelve slices, place one or two slices in the center of each of six plates. place a spoonful of sauternes-onion marmelade of cranberry jam (only of the highest quality)
alongside the terrine. optionally, one can also sprinkle the slices over with small amounts of toasted, peeled and finely chopped hazelnuts and finely chopped chives.

sauternes-onion marmalade

2 medium onions, peeled and sliced paper thin (ideal with a mandoline)
2 oz. butter, cut in small cubes
1/2 tsp. coarse salt                                                                                 
1/4 cup sauternes (or other sweet white dessert wine)

melt the butter in a saucepan set over a low heat. add the onions and salt and cover the pan. cook over the lowest possible heat until the onions are tender (1 1/2 - 2 hours), stirring occasionally. force the onions through a fine strainer into a small bowl and then squeeze well to eliminate the excess butter. place the strained onions back in the pan, add the sauternes and simmer until the onions have a syrup-like consistency. taste and season with additional salt if necessary.

sources:

"Foie Gras, C’est Moi? | The Blog of Michael R. Eades, M.D." Drs Eades. 2010. Web. 20 Oct.

2010.

"Foie Gras Explained from FrenchEntrée.com." French Property Guide to Buying and Living in

France. 2003. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

"Foie Gras." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. 17 Oct. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

"Free Range Foie Gras : Blog Of The Nation : NPR." NPR : National Public Radio : News &

Analysis, World, US, Music & Arts : NPR. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

"History of Foie Gras." Sonoma - Artisan Foie Gras, Gourmet Duck Products from Sonoma,

California. 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

Mclaughlin, By Katy. "French Food Fights Back - WSJ.com." Business News & Financial News –

The Wall Street Journal - WSJ.com. 14 July 2010. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.

"Autumn Is Foie Gras Season « Dana McCauley’s Food Blog." Dana McCauley’s Food Blog.

Web. 20 Oct. 2010

Breitman, Patti. "How to Love a Goose's Liver - Letter - NYTimes.com." The New York

Times - Breaking News, World News & Multimedia. 02 May 2007. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.