All about foie gras

MILLIE: “Tout sur le foie gras” or “All about goose liver” was the title of the course at the famed Alain Ducasse Ecole de Cusine in Paris. I was lucky there was a vacant spot when I called to enroll. There were other courses but all of them were full on the days I had wanted to attend. The only prerequisite was that I should speak French and I’m glad I do.

Class was at 9 a.m. The receptionists’ welcome was casual, warm, friendly, and very professional. They made one feel at home almost instantly. I was ushered into a waiting room and even served a cup of freshly brewed coffee. The receiving area had a display of cookbooks, kitchen tools and gadgets, and exclusive products under the Alain Ducasse signature brand for sale.

There were several kitchen classrooms, all well-equipped and functional, efficiently designed in consideration of time and motion. My chef instructor for the day was chef Emmanuel Lacaille. Alas, the famed Ducasse was not around, although Karla and I had the great pleasure of meeting him when he came to Manila last year.

KARLA: Last year, Enderun invited my mom and I to the press conference of chef Alain Ducasse. Chef Alain, a world-renowned chef whose restaurant was also rated with three Michelin stars, had then announced a collaboration with Enderun College. Outstanding Enderun students will be sent to a restaurant of chef Alain’s for their apprenticeship and will be given the privilege of directly training under him. Chef Alain also gave precious tips and commented on some culinary issues in appreciation of our local cuisine. He also relayed to us his usual routine in a foreign country. Chef Alain usually goes to the local market to check out fresh and local ingredients he can incorporate into his dish. He then talked about how the Philippines is so rich in resources but how we must learn to take care of them.

Chef Alain also talked about how he discourages globalization in the food world. He does, however, encourage young chefs to be more involved in preserving the gastronomical tradition and identity of the country rather than living under the influence of other cuisines. And being French, when he is asked to cook dishes from another country, he does so always with the freshest ingredients and using French techniques. French cuisine has very rich food, with classic delicacies such as truffles, confits, foie gras, and more.

Splendor in the gras: Fresh foie gras in its natural state before it is de-veined and prepared for searing or made into a terrine

MILLIE: Foie gras is a delicacy made of duck or goose liver that has been specially fattened by force-feeding or a process called “gavage” in French. It is delicately rich and has a buttery taste. The best way of preparing fresh foie gras is to lightly season the thick pieces or slices, and cook by searing in a hot pan. At the culinary school of Alain Ducasse, the foie gras was pan-seared, then baked in a preheated oven.  One should be careful not to overcook or allow the pieces to shrink as it will lose the fat and dry up.  It was served with salsifis, an edible root that badly stained my hands as we peeled and prepared it.

Even knowing how rich and fatty foie gras is and how obviously bad it is for my cholesterol, I eat it anyway but only when there is a special occasion or when dining at a fine place that is renowned for this specialty. I particularly like it as a paté, which is why I was intrigued to learn it the Alain Ducasse way.

It was my first time to work hands-on with the real stuff.  I’ve always just purchased paté de foie gras ready-made, in tins. The best brand for me is Rougie, from France.  Fresh goose liver is so delicate, firm, and smooth to the touch. It’s important that the foie gras is properly stored in the ref to conserve it. We learned how to remove the white fat and the greenish stuff. We also had to de-vein it properly, gently pulling out the veins with our glove-lined hands for hygienic purposes. Morsels were placed in a ceramic terrine baking dish and doused with vin jaune or your favorite cognac, left to settle and weighed down to compress.

At a recent cocktail reception for the Mercedes-Benz trophy at the Makati Shangri-La, Karla and I caught sight of the foie gras station and were wondering why most of the guests were lining up at the Peking duck and roast beef stations but not the foie gras. I naturally enjoyed the sinfully delicious offering, savoring it with a piece of fig and some melba toast.

KARLA: Here are some things I learned about foie gras when I studied at the French Culinary Institute in New York in 2009: There are three grades of foie gras, classified depending on the quality of the liver. Grade A is the top quality. It is firm, light-colored, and weighs one to three pounds. It does not have any blemishes or veins and is usually from France. Since this is a French delicacy, force-feeding of geese or ducks is considered a culinary tradition and thus produces consistently high-quality foie gras. Grade A foie gras is usually served in high-end restaurants and very sophisticated events.

Authors Millie and Karla Reyes with world-renowned chef Alain Ducasse

Grade B foie gras is smaller, usually weighing up to a pound and tending to produce more fat when cooked. This grade is usually used when the need for flavor is very important but not the need for aesthetics. If it is cooked, it reduces the amount of blood and fat and is therefore used for mousses, patés, terrines, etc.

Grade C foie gras is the most difficult kind to get. Although it is of lower quality, commercial producers usually consume them for mousses and patés.

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