This recipe is quite easy to prepare, especially if you have good quality stock on hand. Flash frozen portioned foie gras would work equally well in this recipe allowing you to skip the cleaning and deveining procedure.

Verjus is the juice of unfermented grapes and is used similarly to vinegar.  It can be used for salad dressing and sauces, and has the benefit of being less acidic, therefore pairing better with wine.

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 1 Duck foie gras, 1.5 lbs
• 1 tablespoon of flour
• 1/2 cup white verjus
• 1/2 cup “fond brun” (A rich, brown stock. See recipe below.)
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 lb of peeled white grapes or gooseberries for garnish

Instructions

First devein the foie gras and slice it into 8 – 10 pieces, each piece should be 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick. Sprinkle the foie gras slices with salt, then dust the slices on each side with flour.

Heat a heavy frying pan over medium high heat.  When the pan is hot, but not smoking, place the foie gras slices in the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes on each side to obtain a golden color.  The fat that renders in the pan can be spooned over the foie gras to assist the cooking process.  Do not overcook the foie gras.  Ideally, the foie gras will be golden and crispy on the outside and somewhat molten on the inside.  Keep the foie gras warm between two heated plates (the foie gras will cook a little more while it is resting).

Heat the rendered fat from the foie gras itself (you may want to only use a portion of the fat), pour in the verjus, scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon and cook until it is reduced by half.  Pour in the “fond brun” and let it cook for another 1 or 2 minutes.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

Place 2 slices on each plate, pour the sauce on top of the slices and garnish with the grapes or gooseberries.  Serve immediately.

Fond Brun Recipe

First, roast about 3 pounds of beef or veal bones in oven at 450° for 40 minutes. Halfway through the cooking time add 1 onion cut into 4 pieces, 2 sliced carrots and a sliced celery branch.

Pour the mixture in a clean sauce pan. Add 8 pints of water, 2 tablespoons of tomato paste, 1 bouquet garni and 6 pepper corns. Let it simmer for 3 to 4 hours, skimming often.

Strain the mixture many times, while pressing the mixture in order to retrieve the juice and refrigerate. Remove the solid oil from the top.

This makes 4 pints of fond brun.

http://www.enjoyfoiegras.com/products/condiments.html Napa Valley Verjus or Fusion Verjus comes in Verjus Blac and Verjus Rouge and is used for sauces and dressing.

Verjus (pronounced vair-ZHOO) is the tart, fresh juice of unripe wine grapes. It is a culinary ingredient indigenous to the world’s wine producing regions that is used in sauce making, for poaching fish and meat, and to dress lettuces, vegetables and fruit. Verjus or “verjuice” as it is sometimes called, literally means green juice in the sense that it’s made from fruit that has yet to fully ripen � it’s green. It is used to add acidity to foods, an important component in food and in cooking.

Red Verjus is wonderful with duck! Try our recipe for Duck Foie Gras Sauteed in Verjus blanc.