Seared Foie Gras Port Wine Sauce
The port wine sauce that complements this delectable seared Foie Gras helps provide an excellent balance of sweetness and acidity, while green grapes stand-in for traditional figs, yielding a brighter holiday presentation.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
PORT WINE SAUCE
- 2 ounces sugar
- 1 cup port wine
- 0.75 cup red wine
- 1 sprig thyme, leaves chopped
- 1 small bay leaf
- 2 cups veal stock
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 ounces butter
- 0.5 cup seedless green grapes, peeled
THE FOIE GRAS
- 8 slices Foie Gras, 3 ounces each
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 0.25 cup flour
GARNISH
- 1 cup curly endive, just the heart
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sunflower oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Make the Port wine sauce: Place the sugar and 1/8 cup (30 ml) of water into a non-reactive saucepan. Heat on medium until the reduction starts to caramelize. Deglaze with the port wine, and reduce by 1/2. Add the red wine, and let reduce by half again. Then, add the veal stock, bay leaf and thyme sprig, and reduce the sauce again by half. Meanwhile, make the dressing.
- When well reduced, discard bay leaf and thyme sprig, and add the grapes. Taste and season the sauce with salt and pepper.
- Make the dressing: Place salt and pepper into a bowl, then whisk in red wine vinegar and sunflower oil. Reserve the vinaigrette.
- Cook the Foie Gras: Heat a medium sauté pan over high heat until very hot, without any fat. Season the Foie Gras with salt and pepper on both sides. Dredge slices in the flour and tap them to remove excess. Place slices of Foie Gras in a hot pan, sauté until browned on one side, then flip over and cook on the other side until nicely browned. Be careful not to splash hot fat, or it will catch fire. Cook the Foie Gras for a maximum of two minutes on each side. Remove from the pan and, using a long spatula, place each slice on a clean towel to absorb any excess fat before putting it on the sauce.
- Serve: Toss the washed salad with the vinaigrette at the at last minute. Divide the curly onto four plates and set aside while sautéing Foie Gras. Ladle some sauce around, with two Foie Gras slices and about five grapes per plate. Serve immediately, as Foie Gras is best eaten hot right out of the pan.
