Foie Gras

Scam

Scam

Scam

Soldato
Joined
20 Oct 2002
Posts
18,608
Location
London
Just interested in the opinions of others in here. A friend of ours gave us some to try and to my surprise I really didn't like it!!

I'm quite surprised because I love patés/rillettes etc. I'm always tempted by a simple paté and toast starter over more 'interesting' things :p

Maybe this was not a good FG but apparently it was bought from a French deli. It just tasted of fat really. I wouldn't really describe it as rich or flavourful.

Who else has had it? I have to say, I never have gone out of my way to try it because I don't really agree with the way it's made -- but this was given to us so I thought I may as well.

I won't be ordering it in a restaurant that's for sure!
 
Loved it, tried it a good restaraunt and it was sublime.

A decent restaurant is exactly where you should be ordering it. That way the chancres are it's good and been handled/cooked properly.
 
Last edited:
I can remember the first time I had it and had no idea how expensive it was (work paid so didn't look at price!) Was probably one of the best starters I've had - strangely I'd never liked pate/rillette before!

If it's an average foie gras I'd rather duck pate but if it's good then it's VERY good, just melts in your mouth.

Found a local whilst in France (Vendee) that sells foie gras in markets and it is the nicest I've ever tried - he supplies to local restaurants and a couple internationally and was much cheaper than anywhere else I've seen.

Nicest one I've tried had a bay leaf put in at the time of jarring.... just so amazing.

Had a couple of not so nice portions since but have some in the fridge since my trip to France in September and can't wait to tuck in!
Just need my missus to hurry up and pop this sprog first!

I don't have a problem with how it's made as it's just SOOOO tasty;)
 
Tried it several times and loved it each time, especially when crusted with green peppercorns. It is on the border of being too rich - you can feel arteries clogging :/ - its production is also ethically questionable so I dont make a habit of having it too often (maybe once a year)
 
Scam said:
Just interested in the opinions of others in here. A friend of ours gave us some to try and to my surprise I really didn't like it!!
Click to expand...
Was it a lobe or a pot of pâté? There's a massive difference in the taste and texture of the two.

I love fois gras in all its various incarnations, apart from the one where the texture goes slightly jellied/custardy - at which point I find it incredibly hard to enjoy or, in some cases, even swallow.

I've had some fantastic 'faux-gras' from a producer who allows his geese to roam 'wild' and gorge themselves on however much food they see fit, but I can't for the life of me remember the name of the chap who makes it.
 
Foie gras is the lobe of liver itself; from that you can then make various products, with the most common probably being pâté de fois gras.

The old gavage-based foie gras production is indeed a horrible thing, but there are plenty of alternative methods which produce fantastic results and avoid the horrendous treatment of the animals.
 
Good foie gras is delicious. I have it fairly regularly (whenever I, or my parents go to France - which is quite often). I love the stuff. Too much so in fact that I actively have to force myself not to eat it as it is so rich and fairly excessive to eat more than a couple of thin slices.

Poorly cooked/prepared foie gras is unpleasant.

Could just be that you were unlucky?

Whilst the preparation is "ethically questionable" I'm afraid when the food tastes so good as a result, I don't much care. Albeit, you can buy "ethically" produced foie gras - but ultimately, the goose/duck/etc... still croaks it in the end. The flavour comes from the force feeding and causing the liver to swell - yes, it's not pleasant... but for me, it's a treat and I find it too good for it to put me off. I have been to farms in France where they produce it the "traditional" way, and it hasn't put me off. To be honest, if it's not prepared properly then it's just not foie gras, IMO. :)

Then again I've worked in butchers and been to slaughterhouses before, can't say it's ever put me off meat either.
 
Can't agree with it myself.

If you're going to kill an animal for food, the least you can do is let it have a decent, stress free and painless life until it is needed.
 
robfosters said:
Can't agree with it myself.

If you're going to kill an animal for food, the least you can do is let it have a decent, stress free and painless life until it is needed.
Click to expand...

Agreed.

That said, there are plenty of foods that I eat where I don't know how the animal was treated. As such, it seems a bit hypocritical of me to have a massive problem with one particular food type over another just because the mistreatment of the animal is well publicized.

I would probably try foie gras but I definitely don't feel very comfortable about it. I'd be more up for one of the more ethically sound versions that have been alluded to in this thread and elsewhere.
 
Glaucus said:
You can now get humane stuff, which is meant to be very good. They naturally gorge themself before their migration.
Click to expand...

Indeed.

However, I wouldn't go out of my way to buy "humane" stuff over regular stuff. If it's humane, then great, even better - and if it was clearly advertised then I'd probably go for the humane stuff (though I'd be interested to taste the differences between the two.). Technically it's not called "foie gras" if it's not done by gavage according to French legislation.

Whilst it probably comes across as very cold hearted on my behalf, it is purely my glutony coming out! :o

The only issues with humane foie gras is often then need more livers to make the same quantities. I'm not saying it's right, I know it's a shame to do it. But hey, I've eaten horse, and I'd eat cat/dog too. My moral compass for food is fairly broad. :o The ironic/hypocritical thing is, I won't buy caged chicken eggs or caged chickens or any value/basic meats from the supermarket... I'm an oddball for sure! :D
 
Freefaller said:
...and I'd eat cat/dog too.
Click to expand...

I'm always semi-amused by my own views on this kind of thing. I have two cats and personally wouldn't eat cat as it would feel bad to do so whilst I have some as pets. I don't feel the same way about dogs at all (and I'm not someone that "hates" dogs).
 
We've always had cats at home, and whilst I'd struggle to eat them knowing they were my own pet, if they were bred for eating, I'd give it a go. :)
 
Freefaller said:
We've always had cats at home, and whilst I'd struggle to eat them knowing they were my own pet, if they were bred for eating, I'd give it a go. :)
Click to expand...

I'd be tempted to try it if it was on the menu but yeah, I still would feel a bit guilty stroking my cats whilst digesting some of their cat brethren :)

Same reason I wouldn't cuddle a girlfriend after eating human flesh.... :p
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom