How To Serve Foie Gras At Home Like A Fine Dining Chef

Foie gras, a French dish made from fattened and prepared duck or goose liver, is not typically what you might think of when you hear "home cooking." But with a little bit of patience (and brine), anyone can create a Michelin-worthy foie gras dish right from their very own kitchen. We spoke to Ryan Ratino, a critically acclaimed chef and restauranteur, for some tips. Chef Ratino is the man behind Hive Hospitality's two-Michelin-starred Jônt and one-Michelin-starred Bresca, as well as Maass at Four Seasons Fort Lauderdale and Ômo by Jônt, so who better to seek advice from when wanting to impress your friends and family with a fine-dining meal?

When asked about his favorite way to serve up foie gras, Chef Ratino told us, "I personally enjoy making foie gras terrine glazed in [fruit]. Serving this at a dinner spread like Thanksgiving." Fruit and foie gras is a classic combination, with the sweetness of the fruit playing off the rich, savory flavors of the tender liver meat. If you are thinking of serving your foie gras with fruit, consider what's in season; for example, figs for the end of summer/early fall, pears and apples for the fall, and mangos in the summer.

Brining serves many purposes in the culinary world, and with foie gras specifically, it helps tenderize the meat and bring out those luscious nutty, fatty flavors. Chef Ryan Ratino recommends that you "brine split [lobes] of foie gras in white port and Cognac for 24 hours. Then, cook these lobes and purée them." You only need a few minutes (two to four) to cook the lobes. Afterward, make sure you don't overcook them by putting them in a metal bowl that sits in an ice bath to cool off the liver right away. This makes a delicious pâté. 

To finish, Chef Ratino says to "Set [your puréed lobes] into a tray to firm up and then add a fruit glaze over the top. This with warm brioche is perfect." The flaky exterior and fluffy interior of an authentic brioche make it the ideal vehicle for your foie gras with fruit glaze. It's a rich dish with an even richer history, however, foie gras is highly controversial. Considered a delicacy in France, Americans are divided on whether or not to ban foie gras due to inhumane waterfowl farming practices. Before diving into this dish, we recommend looking at the laws in your state as well as trying to find a small-scale farm to order humane foie gras from.