woensdag 28 december 2011
vrijdag 2 december 2011
maandag 28 november 2011
vrijdag 18 november 2011
Let's discover together the foie gras!
Let’s start with a short history of foie gras… Foie gras, one of the world’s most distinguished
delicacies, was born along with the ancient chronicles of mankind. In 2500 BC
the Egyptians began this process. Egyptians, Hebrews and Greeks used soaked
wheat to feed the waterfowl, while the Romans used figs from which the word
“liver” originated. The result was an enlarged fatty liver which has been the
highlight of the finest gastronomy in the world for over 4,000 years. In the
Roman time, the foie gras was one of the most appreciated meal and it
production started in the French South West, after the invasion of Aquitaine
Region by the Roman Legion. Much more rich, buttery and delicate than a regular
duck or goose liver, it is a much sought after French gastronomical experience.
How to prepare foie gras… Foie gras is made from the liver of a duck or goose. Goose liver or duck? This is according to taste: the
first is known as the finest and it is often more expensive. The second is
“more distinctive “and melts more easily during cooking. To prepare successful
foie gras, two steps are essential. First, it is “denervated” (to remove the blood vessels of foie gras)the foie gras.; it is quite difficult for a person who does not much
used to remove the blood vessels of foie gras. The second step, and this is the most difficult
step, you must season it. The seasoning of foie gras is a matter of
accuracy: do not hesitate to weigh and measure each ingredient!
Choose a goose foie gras (600g minimum) or duck (400g minimum); smaller, it
may be a bit difficult. Before starting to work, leave the liver at room
temperature for about an hour.
Take your liver and open the two lobes. You will notice that they are not
the same size (usually it is rather a third and two thirds). Help
yourself with a fork to remove the main vein that connects all the branches of
the nerves, allowing you to achieve a perfect skinning. Scratch traces of
blood. If during this first stage hurt your lobes do not worry, they will
replenish during cooking.
When you have finished denervation, gather the pieces and carefully follow
these steps: 10 g salt per kilogram of liver and 3 g pepper per kg of liver.
Preferably fresh ground pepper. You can complete the seasoning flavor your
liver with truffles, a sweet wine such as porto (1 tablespoon per kilogram),
cognac (1 teaspoon per kilogram). Also select some spices to taste: nutmeg,
French four spices (2 tablespoons ground white pepper, 1 tablespoon ground
ginger, 1 tablespoon ground nutmeg, 1 tablespoon ground cloves), possibly sugar
(1 teaspoon per kilo). Do well to enter the seasoning with your fingers and
place your preparation, protected in plastic wrap, in refrigerator. Let
stand overnight.
One simple way of preparing foie gras…To make ballotin of foie gras, lay a large piece of cling
film on your work surface. Take the foie gras and place on the piece of cling
film. Wrap the cling film over the foie gras and roll into a sausage shape,
squeezing both ends of the cling film very tightly and rolling four times. Fold
the edges of the cling film over the foie gras ballottine. Expel the air and make
sure that the package is completely sealed.
Fill a large saucepan with water and, using a cook’s
thermometer, heat the water to 80°C. Make sure your water is and remains at a temperature of 80 ° C. Let your
small ballotin in the water 10 minutes if you want a foie gras half cooked (mi-cuit) and
15 minutes for a cooked liver. Made to cool the small ballotin in a bowl filled
with ice for half an hour, and place it on a plate in the refrigerator where it
will rest 24 hours before being eaten.
How to serve your foie gras…Get out your foie gras from the refrigerator with 20
minutes before serving to your guests. To determine clearly, use a thin-bladed
knife or a lyre, you wipe between each cut.
How to best accompany your foie gras…
Foie gras is normally served as a starter (prior to the main course). In some cases it is the main course, but this is relatively rare. For most people, foie gras is too fat to be a main course.
Bread: toasted
bread, rye bread and you can dare sweet brioche or downright gingerbread.
If you serve it, as
a main dish, try the original associations by a few leaves of lettuce, although
this is mainly for decoration. If you used lettuce or salad, it should be
without salad dressing because salad dressing would clash with the taste of the
foie gras. In general, sweet-sour items go best with foie gras. For example,
cranberry jelly or oriental chutney often finds favour.
In any case, remember
that the centerpiece of any foie gras dish is the foie gras itself. However,
the plate should be dominated by the foie gras itself.
Wine: sweet wine, Sauternes, a Monbazillac, or a
Frontignan Jurançon. But it is also consistent with the reds wines from South
West as a Cahors or Bergerac, or a Gewurztraminer from Alsace.
Bon appetit!
dinsdag 15 november 2011
Trout fillet with mint
Trout fillet with mint
A quick and easy dish that will go down a bomb at dinner parties and can be made in mere minutes!
Ingredients:
1 trout fillet;
½ coffee cup white wines;
1 tbsp oil olive;
1 teaspoon salt butter;
5 cherry tomatoes (cut in half);
4 fresh mint leaves;
1 clove of garlic chopped;
¼ teaspoon sugar;
salt and white pepper.
Preparation method
1.Heat olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat
2.Season fillet with salt and pepper to taste.
3.Add the trout fillet with skin down. Cover and cook trout fillet over medium heat until the skin begins to brown. Turn the trout over and cook on the other side for 2 minutes or until cooked through.
4.Add garlic. Just when garlic is turning golden, add cherry tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes.
Add butter and cook over medium heat until butter is melted.
5.Add wine, sugar and mint, season with salt and pepper and cook over high heat until the sauce becomes thick.
You can serve with garnish of vegetables.
Bon appétit!
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