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Foie Gras, Scallops and Sweetbreads

Fresh foie gras

  • An 800 grs fresh goose liver
  • One soupspoon of port
  • White pepper
  • Salt

Ask your butcher to clean the Foie gras.
Mixed salt and pepper and spay the foie gras. Put the foie gras in a terrine in china, press it, pour the port, and cover with a foil. Put the terrine in a steamer and cover with the lid. Steam it for 25 minutes with the lid then 10 minutes without the lid. Leave the terrine in the kitchen the all night.

Next morning strain the fat and the juice. Cut a small wooden plank put it on the top of the foie gras with a heavy weight on the top and leave it in the fridge for 2 days at least. You have to eat it within 15 days

Steamed scallops on seaweeds with a sauce "beure nantais"

A big handful of seaweeds or 6 leaves of bay leaf. Salt and pepper. Lay the seaweeds in the steamer, lay the scallops on the top with salt and pepper. Steam for 7 minutes. Serve with the"beure nantais".

"beure nantais"

  • 1 shallot
  • A glass of Muscadet or any dry white wine
  • 2 soupspoons of thick cream
  • 150 grs butter
  • Salt and pepper

Put the shallot minced, the Muscadet, salt and pepper in a pan. Reduce the sauce till the liquid is nearly all evaporated then pour the cream, reduce from a third whilst you whip then put the butter in small bit and whip it slowly to the boil. Lay the scallops on a dish with the sauce and eat immediately.

Sweet breads in white truffle sauce

  • 800 grs of sweet breads
  • Salt &  pepper

Put the sweet bread in fresh water with vinegar for two hours. Lay them in a steamer add salt and pepper and cook for 30 minutes. Clean a little bit the skin and put them in a dish with a little wooden plank on the top and a heavy weight on it. Leave it for two hours.

White Truffle sauce

  • 4 shallots
  • A glass of dry white wine
  • One pot of thick cream
  • 2 tablespoons of white truffle oil (Fortnum & Mason have a excellent one!)
  • 1 egg yolk
  • Salt and pepper

Stir slowly the shallots in butter, add the wine, salt and pepper and leave it stirring about 10 minutes. Add the cream and the truffle oil and leave it thickening. At the end carve the white breads in slices and add it to the sauce, leave till they are hot. Remove the pan from the stove and add the yolk stir it slowly and serve immediately. You can serve it either with rice or steamed spinaches

Pomelos pudding

  • 2 pink grapefruits
  • 150grs of sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 soupspoon of starch or potato flour

Squish the juice from the grapefruits and put it in a pan with the sugar. Melt the sugar. Mix the eggs and the starch and mixed it with the juice (the juice should not be to hot!). Pour the mixture in a dish, put it in a steamer and leave it for 35 minutes. Eat when cold.

February 17, 2005 |

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    Confits and Cassoulets - the 'cuisine de terroir' of South West France. The recipes make use of ingredients which the region has in abundance, such as wild mushrooms, truffles, duck, walnuts, chestnuts, hams, cheeses and wines.
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