Discussion
My Dad rears turkey's for Christmas, and when it comes to draw them, sometimes we find that the livers have gone almost solid, and white in colour - much like foie gras before it's been touched.
I was pondering if it might be worth a go at making foie gras-type pate from it (and indeed pate from the 'normal' livers). I am thinking that in these birds with the funny livers, they have been gorging themselves in the same way natural foie gras birds do prior to migration.
Anyone know how to make foie gras, or have any thoughts on the subject? (And that isn't an invite for 'foie gras's awful' comments!)
I was pondering if it might be worth a go at making foie gras-type pate from it (and indeed pate from the 'normal' livers). I am thinking that in these birds with the funny livers, they have been gorging themselves in the same way natural foie gras birds do prior to migration.
Anyone know how to make foie gras, or have any thoughts on the subject? (And that isn't an invite for 'foie gras's awful' comments!)
Hmm...
Are you sure they haven't got cancer of the liver or something equally unpleasant?
In case you're wondering, I'm not taking the piss. I can't resist getting a nice foie gras liver whenever I'm at my parents' place in the Dordogne (as you doubtless know, Foie Gras country) to just carve slices off and fry it up in butter when it takes my fancy (thank God I can't do it all the time, or my liver would resemble theirs!) and I've never had one that I would refer to as "hard".
Assuming they're OK and you're right in your thoughts, have you tried them cooked fresh first? I used to love paté de foie gras, but since having it freshly pan-fried - very hot pan, 30 seconds either side in butter with a dash of olive oil to keep the butter from burning, with either a sprinkling of seat salt or a glug of raspberry vinegar in the pan - I just can't be bothered with the paté any more, as I find it a poor second place, and only relevant if you can't afford or don't have access to the real thing!
Anyway, if your dad rears the things on a commercial scale, then you should have a few to play with, so give it a go!
If your French is good enough, you'll find a recipe for prepping it half way down this page which seems pretty much spot on. If it's not, PM me, and I'll translate it for you when I get a moment.
Interesting fact I never knew for use in debate with the anti-foie brigade on that page btw! Geese and ducks can gorge their livers up naturally prior to migration anyway, and if you leave one to return to its natural diet after the gavage has been carried out, its liver will return to its normal size over the course of a few days with no lasting effect!
Once again, man compares himself with a beast, and assumes what would be good/bad for us would be the same for the animal, and is wrong!
Are you sure they haven't got cancer of the liver or something equally unpleasant?
In case you're wondering, I'm not taking the piss. I can't resist getting a nice foie gras liver whenever I'm at my parents' place in the Dordogne (as you doubtless know, Foie Gras country) to just carve slices off and fry it up in butter when it takes my fancy (thank God I can't do it all the time, or my liver would resemble theirs!) and I've never had one that I would refer to as "hard".
Assuming they're OK and you're right in your thoughts, have you tried them cooked fresh first? I used to love paté de foie gras, but since having it freshly pan-fried - very hot pan, 30 seconds either side in butter with a dash of olive oil to keep the butter from burning, with either a sprinkling of seat salt or a glug of raspberry vinegar in the pan - I just can't be bothered with the paté any more, as I find it a poor second place, and only relevant if you can't afford or don't have access to the real thing!
Anyway, if your dad rears the things on a commercial scale, then you should have a few to play with, so give it a go!
If your French is good enough, you'll find a recipe for prepping it half way down this page which seems pretty much spot on. If it's not, PM me, and I'll translate it for you when I get a moment.
Interesting fact I never knew for use in debate with the anti-foie brigade on that page btw! Geese and ducks can gorge their livers up naturally prior to migration anyway, and if you leave one to return to its natural diet after the gavage has been carried out, its liver will return to its normal size over the course of a few days with no lasting effect!
Once again, man compares himself with a beast, and assumes what would be good/bad for us would be the same for the animal, and is wrong!
Thanks Kermit!
Yes, that's what I need to know first - whether the state of them is down to something else or just gorging. I seem to recollect that it's often the birds with full crops that have the problem (we fast them prior to killing), which is where I'm putting two and two together from - although I could be wrong!
Yes, it can be a natural process, Janet Street-Porter visited a farm where they 'farmed' the geese on this basis for foie gras, which was quite interesting. I'll have a look at that website, thanks.
Yes, that's what I need to know first - whether the state of them is down to something else or just gorging. I seem to recollect that it's often the birds with full crops that have the problem (we fast them prior to killing), which is where I'm putting two and two together from - although I could be wrong!
Yes, it can be a natural process, Janet Street-Porter visited a farm where they 'farmed' the geese on this basis for foie gras, which was quite interesting. I'll have a look at that website, thanks.
Gassing Station | Food, Drink & Restaurants | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff