Food - Drink
The Cooking Mistake That Can Melt Your Foie Gras
By RYAN CASHMAN
Foie gras is a quintessential luxury food item: a duck or goose liver that has been fattened by the process of engorgement through force-feeding. One of the easiest and best methods to cook foie gras is to pan-sear it, which will give your foie gras a beautiful crust, but don't waste all the money you spent by accidentally melting your foie.
When cooking foie gras, you want the pan hot enough to get that crispy caramelization on the outside, but if you keep the foie gras in the pan for too long, it will overcook and melt. The organ contains a whole lot of fat, and keeping it over high heat for too long will cause the liver to melt and burn as the sugars and fat disintegrate.
The general method for searing thick-cut medallions of foie gras is to start with chilled foie (not frozen) and season with salt and pepper. Get your pan screaming hot and sear the foie gras for between 30 to 60 seconds per side to get a wonderfully crispy crust; if your medallions are very thick, you may be able to get away with longer.