From October 22-November 3, the Mercure Centre Hotel Abu Dhabi will be hosting a foie gras festival, with renowned guest chef and expert Robert Chaffanjon. A staple of French national cuisine, foie gras has courted its fair share of controversy over the years. Translated, foie gras is French for ‘fat liver’ and is produced by force-feeding ducks or geese for 14 days in order to increase the size of their livers. This method also means the livers tend to have a consistent buttery texture.
The preparation of this dish has attracted the scrutiny of many animal rights organisations. In fact in some extreme cases, such as in the state of California earlier this year, the sale and production of foie gras is actually prohibited, due to the horrific conditions the animals were enduring. Recently there has been a shift in attitude towards the production of foie gras to the extent that there are now various producers who don’t force-feed their animals.
The process of force feeding is actually very old. Archaeological reliefs (an ancient sculptural technique) have been uncovered depicting Egyptians from 2,500BC force feeding different birds to fatten them up. The method soon spread to many other regions, although the dish is currently strongly identified as a key delicacy of French cuisine. Foie gras today is prepared in a variety of ways and served either alone, or as a companion to dishes such as steak.
Since it is a fatty meal, people do not often consume a lot of it and portions are rather meagre. There are numerous ways to prepare and serve it and if you’re interested in finding out more we suggest you check out www.moulin-de-la-molle.fr.
Our top tip is to eat it on its own; ideally it should have been slow cooked and served cold, as an appetizer on an unsalted cracker or some bread. The dish has a very delicate, yet incredibly rich taste, which is easily overpowered. Nevertheless, the buttery texture is complemented by a faint iron undertaste, which leaves each bite tasting almost sweet.
For more information about the foie gras festival, contact the Mercure Centre Hotel (02 633 3555).
A unique preparation
The man known as the foie gras king, French chef Robert Chaffanjon, reveals to Time Out what makes this dish so special.
What is your favourite foie gras recipe and why?
‘It has to be foie gras chaud en terrine with red grape and green pepper. The foie gras is not raw but already cooked (although with my special preparation it is half cooked), using the finest quality of course. The liver is soaked in its own terrine, then put in a bain-marie (water bath) for approximately ten minutes. Once the liver is hot, we check it by tasting with a spoon. Why do we prepare it this way? In order to enhance the different tastes, because the flavours are in apogee [a fusion].’
What advice can you give to beginners who want to buy foie gras?
‘The duck liver should weigh a maximum of 450g, no more. This weight is good for cooking without fat. The fat is bad for a good liver. The color must be beige, with a slight light yellow tinge. Make sure you don’t see any veins or blood.’
Where in France makes the best foie gras?
‘The best region in France for foie gras is in the south west, an area called Cambo-les-Bains, near Bordeaux.’
As a national dish, how do you feel about the controversy surrounding the foie gras?
Since the middle ages, people were opposed to the force-feeding of animals and now we have some ecologists who think the animals suffer with this method. However, that is untrue because if the animal suffers, it would not be possible to have a fat liver. So conditions to produce good foie gras must be decent, for the animal and the producer. It is very important to be gentle with the animals, and avoid brutality.
