Choosing Duck (Foie Gras de Canard) or Goose (Foie Gras D’Oie)?
Duck is a little cheaper because it takes less time for ducks to grow to adult size, but it is not any less quality. Duck foie gras tends to be a little milder and creamier. Goose foie gras is stronger, more gamy in flavour and more intense (and more expensive).
Foie Gras and Pate de Foie Gras
Foie Gras is the liver of the birds and pure foie gras is only the liver. Pate de Foie Gras (especially for the French) is different to pure Foie Gras and is usually a combination of pate made from the meat of the bird and and a percentage of the foie gras – so you will often see Pate de Foie Gras with 25% Foie Gras or similar.
Fresh Foie Gras
Foie Gras can be sold fresh as whole lobes of meat – just as you might buy raw liver from the butchers, so you can buy the fresh foie gras. You often see these in French markets.
We have yet to display fresh foie gras on the website but if you require fresh foie gras please email marketquarter@googlemail.com and we can discuss your requirements.
Please give plenty of time for this as we need to organise delivery due to the shorter shelf life. Fresh foie gras is usually bought for ‘pan-fried’ slices served hot either as a starter or to put with a fillet steak for instance. Or fresh foie gras can be cooked to produce various kinds of terrines, or combioned with other meats to make a a Pate de Foie Gras. Fresh foie gras freezes very well. A whole lobe of approx 500g will cost about £30 plus p and p.
Bloc de Foie Gras or Foie Gras Entier?
We sell 2 main types of ready prepared foie gras preserved in tins and jars with a long shelf life (several years) and can be kept in any cool cupboard
Bloc de Foie Gras has a rich taste and very smooth texture – pieces of the liver are blended and cooked in a little wine. It is the best value and usually sold in tins from 70g (plenty for 2 people) or up to 400g which would serve 10 or more people
Foie Gras Entier is a little more expensive and is the very best cuts of the liver, hand prepared and simply poached – these are usually sold in jars of 140g – suitable for up to 4 people
Mi-Cuit?
This is often regared as the very best foie gras as the product has been poached to only 40 degrees and has a shorter shelf life and needs to be kept refridgerated. If you require mi-cuit please email us as above and we can discuss your requirements.
The geese and duck for our foie gras are raised in open woodland and fields (in excellent small farm locations in the Perigord area of France) and fed a pure corn diet. In this respect they have lives much better than most of the chicken that is eaten in this country and elswhere. They are then brought inside for the traditional ‘gavage’. It is said that Foie Gras was discovered by Egyptians, they saw the birds ‘gorging’ themselves in preparation for the long migration flights – this was the best time to eat them, especially the liver, when they were self fattened.
There are ethical issues about Foie Gras but the production of foie gras is a part of the French heritage and an important part of the rural economy. We do deplore some of the factory methods that produces much cheaper foie gras available from some other countries.
