Foie Gras Parfait

A fair bit has been written about Foie gras Parfait, both online and in print recently. I would like to offer up some background from the Kitchens point of view.

As dishes revolve though the seasons and as we churn through our culinary repertoires on and off menus around town. This high end pate has remained a constant for us. Its always requested, despite what vegan sociopaths who really fear their meats would have us believe. Its always on my radar of things to do. At one point we were producing this for 3 busy restaurants.

There are a few recipes kicking around for various dishes that if you had been cooking at a certain place or time you will have in your book too. recipes do the rounds, and this one is no execption. If your time and place was the London Restuarant scene in the mid to late '90s then you have probably cooked this before, at minimum ate a slice.

Marco gets credit for alot of these recipes, though he may have gleaned this from the Roux Brothers. I can`t be sure.
We would make this from time to time in London, and i enjoyed eating it at Mirabelle, when omelette Arnold Bennett didn`t whet my appetite. Lunch in Mayfair wasn`t lunch in Mayfair with out it.

Several cooks brought this dish over to Vancouver with them as they migrated. I guess i could be counted in that group too, along with a chap i had the pleasure of working with at the onset of the restaurant who had worked at Mirabelle. So naturally it ended up on our menu once the dust had settled post opening.



One piece of kitchen kit i find very usefull in this recipe,( which will no doubt annoy the hell out of you amateur cooks ), is a thermo mix. This device is in laymans terms a highspeed blender that you can set a temperature on. Though very handy when twisting up `Parfait. Its by no means essential. Cook and puree in one machine. Set the time, set the speed, set the temp and walk away. I only use it to make sure that the mixture is thoroughly combined, and a little heat just helps this along, before passing through a fine chinois and then cooking dans le bain marie for the rest of the cooking process.

The Parfait is set, cooled, and chilled. Truffle butter enrobed. Sliced and eaten with toasted brioche. A prune and armagnac preserve is a lovely addition, as are cornichons or some boozey jelly - Sauternes, Calvados you get the picture.

For all those out there who make veal stock

And i guess for all those that don't too.
A few roasting pans full of veal bones. With enough marrow bones for a fabulous mid morning kitchen treat.



Grill some bread, Pick some parsley, slice shallots, grab the capers and have fleur de sel at easy reach.

Cover me lads, i'm going in.

To cook a pork belly

To roast a pork belly

First take your pork belly


Score the rind



Apply the seasonings to the meat side. In this case, salt, sugar, ground black pepper, fennel seed, coriander, szechuan peppercorns (spelling ?), ginger, clove and chilli.


Massage the aromatics in to the flesh, and leave it to do its thing for a few hours.


Turn the belly over. place it on a wire rack over the sink and pour boiling water over the scored rind. This opens up the slashes just nicely. Which promotes good crackling.


Then hang the meat up to dry.


Pig curtains.
And i left it there over night.


The next morning i give the rind a good oiling, and placed it on a trivet in a large roasting pan with a pint or so of water in the bottom to keep things nice and steamy.


The belly is placed into a hot oven ( 425°f ) for about 30 mins, look for signs that good crackling is on its way. at this point turn the oven down ( 325°f ) till cooked, this one was a further 2½ hours.


Crackling.


Doneness.


Money shot.

All at once rich, soft and melting, with a spicy kick and crackling crunch, Moist and crisp in the same bite. The fat from the edges is the best bit.

I first came across this way with a belly in London. We used to roast up a few for lunch. Served over buttery mashed potatoes braised cabbage and mustard gravy, or with celeriac fondants and grilled apples with calvados gravy. or.... or... the list goes on and on.

What we didn`t sell we would chill after service. And then the fun begins. Sliced and fried ( crackling removed, that that wasn`t already eaten ) with saute`d fingerlings and sprightly watercress with a sharp mustard dressing. Or sliced thinly on a deli slicer to be quickly grilled on a white hot ribbed grill pan to be paired with grilled squid and a asian vegetable salad. Partnered with Black pudding and melted onions in a sandwhich when the boss wasn`t looking.