CLASSIC TERRINE OF FOIE GRAS

By BobD

Ingredients

• 10 SERVINGS
• Whole foie gras slowly cooked in terrine w/ Sauternes Serve chld w/slices of pheasant breast-Sauternes, late-harvest Jurancon or Cotes de Gascogne.
• • 1 whole Grade A foie gras, about 1 1/2 pounds, at room temperature, cleaned and deveined
• • Salt and pepper to taste
• • 2/3 cup Sauternes

Details

Servings 10
Adapted from dartagnan.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Preheat oven to 200°F.

2. Season liver generously all over with salt and pepper. Place the large lobe smooth side down in a rectangular or oval porcelain terrine mold about the same size as the foie gras. Pour a little of the Sauternes over it. Add the small broken pieces of liver, a little more Sauternes, and finally the smaller lobe, smooth side up, and the rest of the wine. Cover the terrine with its lid or, since cooking at such a low temperature, use microwavable plastic wrap.

3. Put a folded kitchen towel or 6 paper towels layered together in the bottom of a pan large enough to hold the terrine, and set the terrine on top. Fill the pan halfway up the sides of the terrine with hot, not boiling water, transfer to oven, and cook until internal temperature measures 120°F on an instant read thermometer, about 1 hour, depending on the thickness of the terrine or mold.

4. Remove terrine from water bath and place in a deep dish. Invert lid to exert a light pressure on liver; this will force tendered fat to the surface. If the terrine does not have a lid, or the lid has a handle, cut a piece of cardboard slightly smaller than the mold and wrap it in several layers of wrap.

Place inverted lid (or cardboard) on liver and weigh it down with a full bottle of Armagnac (or two 1-pound cans from your pantry) for 20 minutes at room temperature. Then remove the weights and cover the terrine with the fat that was forced out.

5. When foie gras is entirely covered by its fat, wrap terrine tightly, and refrigerate for at least 3 days before serving.

To serve, unmold by dipping terrine briefly in hot water and using a hot knife, cut into serving slices.