Method

Foie gras is an extremely delicate product regardless of which cooking method it is subjected to. And even more so when that method is sous-vide, in which the quality of the liver is the fundamental characteristic. We are currently cooking at temperatures of 65 0C/149 0 1 to achieve a center temperature of 60?C/140F. This is only effective when the liver is excellent otherwise, the only thing we accomplish in cooking it is to melt it.

Separate the liver's two lobes and set aside the smaller one for other recipes.

Seal the large lobe together with the Sauternes and salt 1.)1 This way, the liver will have an aroma to absorb as well as a liquid to soften the vacuum's pressure blow.

The product should be very cold; seal with maximum vacuum with gradual air re-entry to prevent the liver from taking a pressure blow that would break it and accelerate the melting process of its fat.

Cooking

Place the sous-vide bag in the cooking thermos (bain-marie) at 65?C/149F for 20 minutes (photo 31. These two values give the product a center

temperature of about 60?C/140F. This is a very difficult result to achieve with conventional cooking methods, because available cooking apparatuses are not as precise as the cooking

thermos. The thermos has the further advantage of imparting heat by means of a moving liquid, which is the most stable cooking method (much more than by gas, for example). Furthermore, the pressure exerted by the vacuum also helps to cook the ingredient more exactly?it helps to keep the foie gras particles from breaking as they expand with heat (photo 2).

Opening the vacuum hag

In this case, the ingredient has been subjected to sous-vide cooking for immediate consumption. This means that the preparation must not be cooled; rather, once cooking in the thermos is finished, the liver must be directly removed from the bag, taking care not to break it ,:photo 4). With this method, we try to avoid any potential manipulation before the second cooking process in order to protect the ingredient's organoleptic properties as much as possible.

We apply a second cooking method to the foie to benefit from Maillard reactions, which in this case occur very quickly-the cooking process is already well advanced and little is needed for the proteins to react with the carbohydrates to give us the color tones, aroma and texture we are looking for.

Thus, sear the foie gras very briefly on the grill or in a pan so that it acquires the characteristics of a conventional preparation but retains much greater consistency and juiciness as well as a portion of the Sauternes aroma.

We emphasize the importance of the quickness of this searing process so that the ingredient does not lose the qualities acquired through sous-vide cooking at low temperature. The double cooking must not raise the center temperature: we are trying to merely raise the external one.

Lastly, cut the foie into four escalopes

Mix the eggs with the honey. Sift the flour, the baking powder, salt and superfine sugar; add it all to the egg and honey mixture, stirring to homogenize the batter.

Melt the butter in a saucepan together with the milk and condensed milk. Combine with the rest of the ingredients and add the lemon and orange zest; mix in an electric mixer.

Pour the batter into 6x8 in. rectangular silicone molds and bake at 180?C/355F for 10 minutes.

Heat the milk and infuse with the vanilla and saffron. Strain and set aside, keeping it hot. Foam with a handheld mixer just before serving.

Place a lx2 in. rectangular piece of cake in the dish. Arrange a foie gras escalope alongside it with the orange dice and the aromatized milk foam.

Dust the escalope with fleur de sel, freshly ground Szechuan pepper and lime zest.

Original Ingredients List

?Is lo,:sed milk

1 very high quality foie gras 5/6 cup milk

2/5 cup Sauternes 1 vanilla bean

salt 6 saffron pistils

Hon y-,- itr , r;

8 4/5 oz. eggs

2/3 cup honey

10 2/3 oz. flour

2/3 oz. baking powder

1/5 tsp. salt

1 cup superfine sugar

7 oz. butter

1/5 cup milk

2/3 cup condensed milk

zest from 2 lemons and 2 oranges

0 ,- r

orange peel confit, diced

fleur de sel

Szechuan peppercorns

lime zest