What is foie gras torchon

Semi-cooked mi-cuit foie gras has been poached at a low temperature and is prized for its silky texture. It has a short shelf-life of three months compared to fully cooked cuit and pasteurized foie gras, which can be kept in tins or jars for years. Foie gras torchon with boozy cherries from Frenchie photo Barbra Austin. Composition: Foie gras entier contains one or two whole lobes of liver, whether cooked in a jar or in a towel au torchon.

A bloc of foie gras contains many smaller livers molded together. A bloc of foie gras with morceaux bits contains many pieces of liver pureed together and emulsified with water. Season generously with salt and pepper. Roll the pieces of foie gras together in a dampened sheet of parchment paper. Press firmly while rolling to help shape the foie gras and force it into the sausage shape. Put the foie gras in a kitchen towel and roll it up. Twist together the two ends in opposing directions and tie each end closed with a piece of string.

Tie about 10 loops of string along the length of the sausage to press it evenly into place. Poach in simmering water for exactly 4 minutes.

Lay a triple layer of plastic wrap, 12 by inches on a cutting board. Remove foie gras from refrigerator and transfer to plastic wrap, exterior membrane-side down. Carefully butterfly with your fingertips, spreading the foie gras out and pushing it into shape with your hands until it forms a rough 9- by 9-inch square of even thickness.

Place half of weighed spice mixture in a fine mesh strainer and sprinkle evenly over top surface of foie gras. Sprinkle with half of cognac. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on top and carefully flip. Peel of plastic wrap from what is now the top, and sprinkle with remaining spice mixture and cognac. Flip back over and remove top piece of plastic wrap to expose surface again. Slide foie with plastic on top of a bamboo sushi rolling mat, adjusting it so the bottom edge of the foie is flush with the bottom of the mat.

Fold the trailing plastic wrap underneath. Carefully start rolling foie, using bamboo mat to keep it nice and tight until a complete cylinder is formed.

Pull back tightly on bamboo to tighten cylinder. Lay out a quadruple layer of cheesecloth about 16 inches wide by 2 feet long. Roll foie gras off of plastic onto the cheesecloth a few inches from the bottom edges. Carefully roll foie in cheesecloth, pulling back as you go to keep it very tight and even. Twist ends of cheesecloth and secure one side with a short piece of twine.

Secure other side with a 3-foot piece of twine. Twist twine around end of cheesecloth to tighten the roll, making the torchon shorter and shorter with each twist. Tighten until you see foie fat starting to leak out around the edges of the torchon and it has the consistency of a bike tire.

If you can find only a narrower roll, we suggest dividing your foie into two or three smaller torchons so you can wrap them easily. Why do I need to add curing salts? These salts will greatly extend the shelf life of the torchon and give it a pleasant pink color that lasts and lasts—without the salt, torchons turn a nasty grey hue.

Nobody needs that. Any way to speed up the process? You can bring your foie to room temperature faster by tempering it in a bowl of room-temperature water instead of on the counter. What should I serve this stuff with? Some lovely thin-cut baguette, a dollop of marmalade, and a smattering of pickled cherries. What else do I need to know? You will need a clean toothpick or a sterilized needle to remove trapped air when you roll your torchon.

Sweet Spice Cooking time: 5 min See the recipe. With a spoon or small knife, gently open it up and follow the major veins into the liver. Pull gently on the veins to remove them—kitchen pliers are great for this. Work carefully, though. You want to keep that lovely liver looking pretty. Remove any blood spots, then rinse off the foie gras with cool water and pat it dry.

Use your fingers to patch up any holes or uneven spots. For the foie pictured here, we used an approximately 12 in x 6 in 30 cm x 15 cm rectangle. Dust the foie with the mixture of spices, salts, and sugar. Drizzle the Sauternes all over the foie, distributing the wine as evenly as possible.