Seared Quebec Foie Gras With Okanagan Peaches Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat a grill.
• Peaches: Combine the peach preserves and serranos in a saucepan. Cook until tender and syrupy. Remove from the heat and mash with a fork.
• Cabernet Franc Reduction: Reduce one cup of veal stock and Cabernet Franc. To thicken, add red wine jus, cream, and butter. Finish with a few drops of red wine vinegar and the shallots.
• Foie Gras: Cut the foie gras into 4 slices and score with a fork. Sear until golden brown on both sides in a hot pan. Remove from pan and place on a paper towel. Sprinkle with fleur de sel to season.
• Grill a small piece of white or milk bread; place in center of a plate. Add a teaspoon of peach preserve on the bread. Place hot foie gras on the peaches. Garnish with frisee and a few hand-cut local greens tossed in grapeseed oil. Spoon sauce around and drizzle with ice wine syrup.

Steps:

• In saucepan bring wine, water and sugar to a boil. Peel and slice peaches into wedges. Remove boiling wine syrup from heat then add peach slices. Cover and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Remove peaches and reserve syrup in refrigerator for future use. Will hold about 1 week.
• In a small pot reduce the balsamic to 1/3. Remove from heat.
• For this dish you will need a non-stick pan. Take the foie gras out of the refrigerator. One thing I want to point out really quickly is you will need a warm knife. When you use the knife simply have a container of lukewarm water and place the knife in it and slice a 2-inch thick piece of foie gras, slice it and season with salt and white pepper. Take the non-stick pan, place it on a gas stove, on high. Take a knife and score the foie gras left to right and this will allow the fat to be released a little bit quicker and prevent it both from sticking and burning in the pan.
• Once the pan is lightly smoking, remove from heat for 1/2 a minute. Add dash of grapeseed oil. Place the foie gras in the pan score side down and place back over the heat. Continue to sear the foie gras for approximately 1 to 1 1/2 minutes making sure that the Foie Gras does not burn; turn over and cook the foie gras for a further 1 to 1 1/ 2 minutes on the other side. Remove from the heat and let rest for approximately 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in butter and lemon juice. Spoon peaches and syrup onto 4 plates, place foie gras on top of peaches and drizzle plate with reduction. To finish sprinkle a small pinch of fleur de sel on foie gras.

Steps:

• In a saucepan coated lightly with oil, sweat the onions and ginger until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the spices and season. Add the stock and bring to simmer. Add soy sauce and daikon and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes, reducing the mixture by 20 percent. Check for seasoning, and strain out the spices, keeping the broth. Place the daikon into the strained broth. Keep hot.
• Heat a non-stick pan on high. Season the foie gras on both sides, and saute until brown, about 3 minutes a side. Drain on paper towels.
• In a large, heated pasta bowl, place 1 braised daikon piece. Cut out a very thin wedge, and squeeze in a small bundle of daikon sprouts. Top the daikon with the seared foie gras, ladle the broth around the daikon, and add 3 Edamame Dumplings. Garnish with edamames and tomato concasse.
• Wine Suggestion: Cotes de Nuits-Village, Clos de la Belle Marguerite, 1996
• In a pot of salted water, boil the edamames until soft, about 15 minutes. During the last 2 minutes, add the spinach, to wilt.
• Strain well and add to a food processor. Puree until smooth. Add the butter and only pulse. You want small pieces of butter in the mousse.
• Fold in truffle oil and chives, and season. Place in refrigerator until chilled through.
• To make the dumplings, lay out 4 wonton skins at a time, and spoon about 1/2 tablespoon of mousse on each. Brush on egg wash on the edges and fold in half to form a triangle. Fold left tip of triangle underneath to attach to right tip (like a tortellini). Repeat and make 24 dumplings total. Reserve in the refrigerator.
• In a large pot of boiling, lightly salted water, add dumplings and cook for 3 minutes. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• To make the quince: Slice ends from quince, and peel (a vegetable peeler works well). Cut in half, lengthwise. Remove the tough core, using a Parisian scoop (or a small paring knife). Then cut quince lengthwise into 1-inch-thick wedges. Place in a medium-size nonreactive saucepan, and add the remaining ingredients, plus 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer, and cool until quince is tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Remove quince slices and tangerine peel with a slotted spoon. Strain poaching liquid and discard aromatics. Julienne tangerine peel, and return it, along with quince, to poaching liquid. Keep warm. If preparing in advance, let cool in poaching liquid. Cover, and refrigerate.
• To make the pomegranate juice: Cut pomegranate in half, and juice just as you would a citrus fruit. In a small nonreactive saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, vinegar, and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 6 to 7 minutes, until slightly thickened. Set aside.
• To make the foie gras: Separate the two lobes of the foie gras, and cut away any excess fat found at the point of separation. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife (dipped in hot water), cut foie gras crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Score one side of each slice of foie gras in a crosshatch pattern. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to cook.
• Remove foie gras slices from refrigerator 15 minutes before sauteing. Warm quince over medium heat if necessary. Heat a 12-inch saucepan over medium-high heat. Season foie gras with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Working quickly, sear foie gras slices, crosshatched side down, in batches, if necessary, for about 1 minute. Turn, and cook for another minute. The foie gras should be nicely seared on the outside, yet rare in the middle.
• To assemble: Arrange quince in the center of warmed appetizer plates. Top with foie gras slices. Drizzle reduced pomegranate-juice mixture around the quince and foie gras, and garnish with herbs and pomegranate seeds. Note: This recipe has been adapted from "Alfred Portale's Gotham Bar and Grill Cookbook," by Alfred Portale. Copyright 1997 by Alfred Portale. Used by permission of Doubleday, a division of Random House.

Steps:

• Srinkle salt and pepper on both sides of the foie gras and keep at room temperature.
• Melt the butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add pear slices and brown sugar. Caramelize, turning often. Place the caramelized pears on two warm plates.
• Sear the foie gras on each side over medium-high heat in the frying pan (cooking time is delicate as it can vary from 15 seconds to 1 minute per side, depending on the thickness of the foie gras).
• Place the foie gras on the pears.
• Deglaze the frying pan with the balsamic vinegar, then add the cider (or apple juice) and the rosemary. Let it reduce a little, then pour over the foie gras. Decorate with a sprig of fresh rosemary.
• Try serving with a little green salad, using any remaining sauce as the dressing.