Foie gras is not a menu item, either at home or dining out, that’s on the tip of American’s palates.  Yet leave our shores for France and the delicacy becomes as common as hamburgers and French fries here.

Foie gras is a food product derived from the liver of a specially fattened duck or goose.  Fattening, by French law, is accomplished through forced feeding with corn.  The feed results in high fat deposits in the liver, enlarging the liver by six to ten times its normal size and giving it its rich and creamy texture.  This custom dates back to 2500 BC when Egyptians fattened birds through forced feeding.  The delicacy results in a uniquely creamy, rich and buttery product that differs from classic duck or goose liver.  Hungry also produces its own version of foie gras.

In France, foie gras exists in three different, legally defined, forms ranging from the inexpensive (bloc de foie gras) to the moderate (foie gras) to the very expensive (foie gras entire).  In the United States, raw foie gras is classified as Grade A, B, or C with A containing the highest percentage of fat. 
Foie gras is often flavored with truffles, prunes, or liquors such as Cointreau or Armagnac and pair well with fruit sauces of fig,quince, apples, pears, and berries.  Reduction sauces of red wine or sauces of truffles and wasabi are great pairing agents.  The delicacy is often an accompaniment to filet mignon, duck and shrimp dishes.

The classic and time honored wine pairing for foie gras is Sauternes, that gorgeously sweet and unctuous white made from late harvest Sauvignon grapes.  The creamy, buttery texture and flavor of the foie gras just melts seamlessly with the wine.  Some chefs prefer not to start a dinner course with an overly sweet wine, preferring the pairing as a closing number.  Personally, that doesn’t really bother me too much as long as I temper the sips of wine.  An alternative wine, with gorgeously sweet characteristics, would be an Auslese.  If, however, you’re looking for a slightly less sweet white, think about an off dry Riesling or even Pinot Gris.  Still less sweet but with zippy bubbles, think Champagne from the dry to the Sec.  If you’re determined to pair a red, a Pinot Noir would be a good bet, especially if the foie gras drizzled with a red wine sauce and lastly, a Port might work as well.

Tags: Auslese, foie gras, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Port, Riesling, Sauternes