Pan seared foie gras

Pan seared foie gras at home in the Isle of Man

To pass on some of the Dordogne’s specialities to the Isle of Man, we brought back a whole duck liver. It’s really not complicated to cook when just searing, but logistically it is a pain, as a whole liver is probably enough for about 6 people as a starter, but managing to get them out altogether while still warm and molten is a bit of a challenge. In the future it may just have to be for a romantic dinner for two!

Piers’ concoction of tart green apples, cognac, brown sugar, and star anise paired beautifully. After deveining the liver, cool it,  then slice it into approximately one inch thick slices (any thinner and it risks disintegrating during cooking), pat with salt and pepper (omit flour as shown in my photo – I was persuaded by Epicurious but it can contribute to burning – the foie gras caramalizes and forms a crust naturally). The apples were sauteed with butter, quite a bit of brown sugar, cinnamon, and star anise – cognac was added and then they were flambeed….

Searing foie gras at home

Pan seared foie gras on toast with sauteed spiced apples – sadly looking a bit of an ugly mush!