Classic Duck Foie Terrine Recipes

CLASSIC TERRINE OF FOIE GRAS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200°F and line a small roasting pan with a folded kitchen towel or 6 layers of paper towels (this provides insulation so bottom of foie gras won't cook too quickly).
• Sprinkle each lobe and any loose pieces of foie gras on both sides with kosher salt and white pepper. Sprinkle one third of Sauternes in terrine and firmly press large lobe of foie gras, smooth side down, into bottom. (Wedge any loose pieces of foie gras into terrine to make lobe fit snugly.) Sprinkle with another third of Sauternes. Put smaller lobe of foie gras, smooth side up, into terrine and firmly press down to create a flat surface and snug fit. Sprinkle with remaining Sauternes. Cover surface of foie gras with plastic wrap, then cover terrine with lid or foil.
• Put terrine (with plastic wrap and lid) in roasting pan and fill roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up side of terrine. Bake in middle of oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted diagonally into center of foie gras registers 120°F, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or 160°F (for USDA standards), about 3 1/2 hours.
• Remove terrine from pan. Discard water and remove towel. Return terrine to roasting pan and remove lid. Put wrapped cardboard directly on surface of foie gras and set weight on cardboard (this will force fat to surface; don't worry if fat overflows). Let stand at room temperature 20 minutes.
• Remove weight and cardboard and spoon any fat that has dripped over side of terrine back onto top (fat will seal terrine). Chill, covered, until solid, at least 1 day.
• Unmold foie gras by running a hot knife around edge. Invert onto a plate and reinvert, fat side up, onto serving dish. Cut into slices with a heated sharp knife.

CLASSIC DUCK FOIE TERRINE

Steps:

• Three to five days ahead, preheat the oven to 190 degrees. Gently separate the lobes and pick out and discard large veins and greenish bile, if any. Try not to break the liver up. (If not at room temperature, it will fall apart.)
• Place first lobe in a terrine large enough to hold the foie gras snugly. Sprinkle with half the salt and pepper. Splash on 1 tablespoon of the wine, layer the other lobe and any small pieces on top and add the remaining wine. Season with the remaining salt and pepper. Cover the terrine snugly with plastic wrap.
• Line the bottom of a roasting pan with a kitchen towel and place the terrine on top. Pour in enough hot (not boiling) water to come an inch or so up the sides of the terrine. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the foie gras reaches 115 degrees. (The U.S.D.A. recommends an internal temperature of 160 degrees.)
• Remove from oven and take the terrine out of the roasting pan. Place a weight on top and leave at room temperature for 30 minutes.
• Pour off any juices that have accumulated and use a gravy separator to separate the juices from the fat. Pour the fat back on top of the terrine. Discard juices.
• Refrigerate 3 to 5 days. To serve, slice thinly or use for French kisses and Gascogne sushi. Terrine keeps, refrigerated, up to 15 days.

TERRINE OF DUCK

Steps:

• Bloom the gelatin by sprinkling it over 1 cup of the duck stock in a small mixing bowl ¿ being sure to dissolve all of it. If the stock is gelatinous heat it slightly to bring it to a more watery consistency. Once the gelatin is dissolved place the bowl over a pot with simmering water in it and heat the mixture until it becomes clear. Mix in the apple cider vinegar and salt, to taste. Refrigerate until needed.
• Note: Depending on the richness of the stock used, the vinegar to stock ratio may need to be adjusted. The important thing is to keep the liquid (vinegar and stock) to gelatin ratio the same as it is in this recipe.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Heat a nonstick saute pan over medium heat and lay in the duck breasts, skin side down. Reduce the heat to low once the fat starts to melt and cook the breast very slowly for about 30 minutes to render as much of the fat as possible. Increase the heat if needed so that the final product is a rendered duck breast with a golden brown skin side. Flip the breasts over in the pan and roast for 3 to 8 minutes (depending on the size of the breast) until medium rare. Let the breasts cool at room temperature and then refrigerate.
• Increase the oven to 400 degrees F. Peel the apples and slice them thin (about 1/8 inch) on a mandolin. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper. Toss the apple slices with oil and salt and pepper. Spread out on the sheet pans and roast until the apples are barely cooked through ¿ still slightly crispy on the inside. Let cool at room temperature.
• Cut the stems off the beet greens so that only leaves remain. Boil a small pot of salted water. Prepare an ice bath in a medium size bowl. Blanch the beet greens in the boiling water by submerging them completely for about 10 to 15 seconds. Spoon them out and plunge them in the ice bath. Set the greens out individually on paper towels to dry. Layer the towels several times if necessary.
• When the duck breasts have fully cooled slice them lengthwise into thin slices ¿ less than 1/8-inch thick. Soak the slices in the orange juice.
• Warm the aspic in the mixing bowl over simmering water.
• Line 2 small triangular terrine molds with plastic wrap. Layer beet greens over the plastic wrap to cover the inside of the terrine mold completely and leave overhang on the edges to fold over the top. Brush the greens liberally with aspic. Layer the sliced apples and brush liberally with aspic. Put down another layer of beet greens and brush with aspic. Set in a layer of sliced duck. Layer as much as needed so that the terrine molds are full. Be very liberal with the aspic. It is the glue that holds the terrine together. When the mold is full fold the plastic over the top and put on the lid ¿ pressing down to work out any air pockets. Use cans or anything else you have around the kitchen to put weight on the terrines while refrigerating.
• When the terrines are fully chilled remove them from the refrigerator. Turn them out onto a cutting board, using the plastic to pull it carefully from the mold without breaking them. Carefully slice each terrine into 8 portions. Lay them out on a sheet pan. Heat the remaining aspic (if any) and use it to glaze the faces of the terrine slices. Refrigerate until ready to serve. It's important to keep these cold until service, as they will become very difficult to plate when the aspic begins to warm.

ARIANE DAGUIN'S FRENCH KISSES AND GASCOGNE SUSHI

Steps:

• Two to three weeks ahead, soak the prunes in Armagnac, checking frequently and adding more Armagnac if necessary (prunes absorb it quickly).
• Place the duck terrine in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until smooth and spreadable (do not overpulse). Reserve 10 tablespoons for the Gascogne sushi and put the rest in a pastry bag fitted with a large tip.
• Pipe the foie gras into prunes (use your finger to make the center larger) to create French kisses.
• For Gascogne sushi, spread 1 tablespoon of mousse onto each duck prosciutto slice and roll up.