Developing a Dish: Foie Gras Confit With Pickled Beets
Then my mental merry-go-round brought an old memory to the front. Three years ago I saw Alain Sailhac's "Confit of Whole Foie Gras" in Michael Ginor's Foie Gras: A Passion. At the time, I thought it above my skill level, but since then I've gained confit experience and the confidence to work with foie gras. A whole foie gras poached in duck fat struck me as both crazy and daring—at least for any guest trying to dodge a heart attack.
A week before the party, I cured the intact liver for 24 hours. As with any confit, you can add your favorite spices to the cure; I kept it simple with the Basic Dry Cure from Charcuterie, an 8:4:1 blend of kosher salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite. When I did a trial run—opting for the spirit of the invitation's law instead of the letter—the liver oxidized to an unappealing gray. The sodium nitrite added a reddish, meaty tint; it noticeably improved the look of the final dish.
I poached the liver in 2 pints of duck fat kept at 185° Fahrenheit. Seven minutes on one side and four minutes on the other. I told the other guests that you could count the dollars as the liver shrank, its fat becoming one with the cooking fat. I turned off the heat and let the fat drop to 160°, at which point I transferred the quivering liver to a plate and let the cooking fat cool to room temperature. Finally, I moved the liver to a small container—a terrine mold—and poured the liquid fat over it, covering it completely. Then I moved the terrine to the refrigerator, where the liver developed flavor for a week in its solid fat tomb.
I turned my attention to the "something extra" the dish needed. The rich fat in foie gras coats and deadens the palate; an acidic add-on refreshes the taste buds. I made fennel ceviche to pair with the first batch, but the thin arcs were too crunchy. The night before the party, I stumbled upon the pickled beets from Quick Pickles. Boil beets, peel, dice, and cover in a hot syrup of red wine vinegar, brown sugar, and spices.
On the drive up to Jack and Joanne's house, and as the party started, I let the confit come to room temperature. The recipe implies that you should serve the dish cold, but that gives you little but a solid chunk of fat. At room temperature, the foie gras hovers somewhere between liquid and solid, a trembling mass barely contained by its cellular structure. Also, at room temperature it's easier to remove the pure fat you poured over the liver, which can be greasy and unappealing if left clinging to the foie gras. I upended the terrine and poured the duck fat into a bowl.
I cut the confit into small squares, and placed each atop a baguette slice. On to each square of foie gras, I placed a single cube of pickled beet.
I worried that I had assembled too many of these little appetizers. But the guests pounced on the dish and finished off the bites almost before I had cleaned up the aftermath. Even I, my harshest critic, couldn't find any fault with the combination. The earthy sweetness of the beet paired with the meaty liver, and its acidity cut through the rich fat. If I made it one more time, I might lightly toast the thin baguette slices, but this would be a minor edit on an almost-perfect dish.
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