DUCK QUARTET SALAD with ROASTED SHALLOT CANE VINAIGRETTE
by Jamie Shannon

Like variations on a theme, this quartet of duck preparations by Jamie Shannon highlights the versatility of duck and foie gras. The resulting salad offers intriguing contrasts among the textures and flavors of the sweet, supple prosciutto, the browned, crisp cracklings, the salty, dense smoked breast, and the earthy, silken foie gras.

YIELD: 4 APPETIZER SERVINGS

DUCK PROSCIUTTO – Purchase Duck Prosciutto Online
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup coarse salt
3 juniper berries
1 duck breast
In a small mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, salt, and juniper berries. Pack the duck breast in the mixture and refrigerate for 6 to 8 days. When done, the breasts should be firm to the touch, with a completely cooked texture and no evidence of raw meat. Wipe off the seasoning completely, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate.

MARINATED SMOKED DUCK BREAST – Purchase Smoked Duck Breast Online
3 cups water
1/2 cup coarse salt
1/3 cup sugar
1 clove
1 star anise
1-inch piece cinnamon stick
1 duck breast
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup Jack Daniel’s
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons coarse salt
In a large saucepan, combine the water, salt, sugar, clove, star anise, and cinnamon, and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Transfer this solution to a clean container and submerge the duck breast in it. Allow the duck breast to cure, refrigerated, for up to 12 hours. Remove from the curing solution and rinse. Set up a cold smoker and heat to 85 degrees. Place the duck breast in the smoker and smoke for 2 hours. Chill.

In a small mixing bowl, combine, the orange juice, Jack Daniel’s, brown sugar, and salt. Marinate the smoked duck breast in this mixture overnight. Remove the breast from the marinade and discard the marinade. Score the duck skin into a diamond pattern, cutting three-fourths of the way into the skin. Heat a small saute pan over medium heat and cook the duck breast slowly, rendering as much fat as possible without burning the skin. Turn the breast over and cook to medium rare. Remove from the pan and set aside until service.

VINAIGRETTE
5 shallots, peeled
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3 ounces cane vinegar (see Chef Notes)
1 cup olive oil
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Coat the shallots lightly with the vegetable oil and roast them in a small pan for 30 minutes or until soft. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the roasted shallots, mustard, and vinegar. With the motor on, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream to form an emulsion. Set aside until service.

DUCK CRACKLINGS
Skin of 1 duck breast, cut into 1/4-inch strips
1/2 cup water
Place the strips of duck skin in a small saucepan with water and cook over medium heat until all the fat is rendered and the skin becomes crisp. Strain, set the cracklings aside, and reserve the fat for another use.

CANE VINEGAR REDUCTION
4 cups cane vinegar
In a small saucepan set over medium-high heat, reduce the vinegar until only 1/4 cup remains, about 1 and 1/2 hours. Set aside.

FOIE GRAS – Purchase Foie Gras Online
8 ounces foie gras cut into 4 slices, each 2 ounces and 1/2-inch thick, scored
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground

GARNISH
4 quail eggs

SALAD, FOIE GRAS, AND GARNISH
1/4 pound mesclun greens
1 orange, sectioned
2 ounces fresh peas
Using a meat slicer or a very sharp knife, slice the duck prosciutto into thin strips, being careful to keep the fat attached to the meat. Slice the smoked duck breast thinly, on the bias. In a large mixing bowl, place the mesclun greens, duck prosciutto, smoked duck, orange segments, and peas. Toss with the roasted shallot vinaigrette. Divide the salad evenly among the four serving plates. Heat a large saute pan over high heat until hot. Season the foie gras slices with salt and pepper and sear for 20 seconds per side. Place each slice atop a salad. In a small non-stick saute pan over medium heat, fry the quail eggs sunny side up. Place one on top of each piece of foie gras. Garnish each plate with a few duck cracklings and drizzle the vinegar reduction over the top.

CHEF NOTES
Cane vinegar, a Louisiana specialty, is a by-product of sugar production. One of the most popular brands is Steens. If you cannot smoke your own duck breast, you can usually purchase it, as well as duck prosciutto, from specialty meat purveyors.

FOIE GRAS and SWEET ONION BREAD PUDDING with PECAN-CRUSTED DUCK LEG CONFIT, WILTED SPINACH, and ANDOUILLE SALAD by Emeril Lagasse

(excerpted from “Foie Gras…A Passion” by Hudson Valley founder, Michael Ginor)

With its roots in French, Spanish, and African cooking, the cuisine of New Orleans is known for hearty dishes with robust flavors. One of the genre’s most renowned practitioners is Emeril Lagasse, who, for this preparation, blends Cajun and Creole classics with French ingredients and techniques. Although bread pudding is usually served as a dessert, Emeril’s savory version incorporates foie gras, which, as it melts, enriches the custard. The result is a comforting, stuffing-like pudding that is a perfect accompaniment to the pecan-crusted duck leg confit.

YIELD: 10 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS

DUCK CONFIT – Purchase Duck Confit Online
10 duck legs
1 and 1/2 cups coarse salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1bunch fresh thyme
8 juniper berries
2 to 3 quarts rendered duck fat

Rinse the duck legs under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, combine the salt, peppercorns, thyme, and juniper. Holding 1 duck leg at a time over the bowl of salt, rub a generous amount of the salt and seasonings into the skin and flesh of the leg. Place in a half hotel pan or other nonreactive dish and repeat with the remaining legs. The salted legs can be layered 2 or 3 deep. All of the salt should be used. Any that is left over can be sprinkled on top. Refrigerate overnight. The following day, brush away any salt and spices from the duck legs and pat dry with paper towels. Heat the rendered fat in a heavy 6- or 8-quart saucepan over medium heat to between 220 and 230 degrees. Add the duck legs, making sure they are submerged in the fat, and cook until browned and tender, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. When the legs are nearly cooked, the meat will pull away from the leg bone. Remove from the heat and let cool at room temperature for 1 hour. Transfer the legs to a ceramic bowl, crock, or other nonreactive container. If not using immediately, strain the fat on top to cover. The confit will keep up to one year in the refrigerator. To use confit that has been stored in the refrigerator, gently heat the bowl in a pot of simmering water to melt the hardened fat.

BREAD PUDDING – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound foie gras, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
3 cups sliced onions
2 teaspoons coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
7 large eggs
3 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 and 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
8 cups cubed white bread, without crusts
1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 2-quart rectangular glass baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the butter. Heat a large saute pan over moderately high heat and sear the foie gras cubes in several batches, about 30 seconds per batch, stirring gently with a wooden spoon. Remove the cubes and drain them on a paper towel, leaving the fat in the pan. Add the remaining butter to the pan and saute the onions until translucent, about 5 to 10 minutes, adding 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne pepper, and all the black pepper. Add the garlic and saute for 1 minute longer. Remove this mixture from the head and let cool.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs for 30 seconds. Add the heavy cream, the remaining salt and cayenne pepper, the Tabasco sauce, and the Worcestershire sauce. Whisk this mixture until all ingredients are well blended. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the bread cubes and mix well. Fold in the seared foie gras. Pour the mixture into the buttered pan and sprinkle with the grated cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 to 55 minutes, or until set. If the top begins to brown, cover with aluminum foil. Remove the pudding from the oven and let it rest for 5 minutes before serving.

PECAN-CRUSTED DUCK CONFIT
2 and 1/2 cups pecans, lightly toasted (see Chef Notes)
3 and 3/4 cups flour
Essence of Emeril (see Chef Notes)
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
3 eggs beaten
1/4 cup milk
10 legs duck confit (from above)
1/4 cup olive oil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a food processor, combine the pecans with 1 and 1/2 cups of the flour. Pulse until the pecans are finely ground, being careful not to over-process the mixture to a paste. Season the mixture with the Essence of Emeril. In a shallow bowl, season the remaining flour with salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat together the eggs and milk. Dredge the confit legs in the seasoned flour. Dip each leg in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the legs in the pecan mixture, coating each leg completely. Heat two ovenproof saute pans, each large enough to hold five duck legs without crowding, over medium-high heat. Divide the olive oil among the two pans and heat. Lay the pecan-crusted legs into the hot oil, five per pan. Pan fry the legs for 3 minutes on the first side, flip and remove the pan from the heat. Place the pans in the preheated oven and cook the duck legs for an additional 6 minutes. Remove from the pan, drain on paper towel, and keep warm.

WILTED SPINACH SALAD
2 and 1/2 cups andouille sausage, finely chopped (see Chef Notes)
1/4 cup shallot, minced
2 and 1/2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 and 1/2 cups onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1 and 1/2 cups olive oil
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
10 cups fresh spinach, cleaned, stems removed, and firmly packed

In a hot saute pan, sear the andouille sausage for 1 minute, until the fat renders. Add the shallot, garlic, and chopped onion and saute for 2 to 3 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and add the balsamic vinegar. Pour the mixture into a medium mixing bowl and whisk in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to a small stainless steel container and set aside in a warm place. Reserve the red onion and spinach until service.

SERVICE
Using a 2 and 1/2-inch round metal cutter, cut circles out of the bread pudding. Place the spinach into the large mixing bowl and toss with the red onions and the warm vinaigrette. Season the salad with salt and pepper. Mound some salad onto one side of each of ten serving plates. Lay a duck confit leg on top of each salad and a round of bread pudding on the side.

CHEF NOTES
To toast the pecans, place the nuts on a sheet pan and set in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cool completely before using. Essence of Emeril is a proprietary spice blend available in grocery and gourmet stores. As a substitute, use any combination of sweet and hot spices to your taste. Andouille is a dense smoked sausage typical of Louisiana. It can be found in most specialty meat or charcuterie shops. Do not confuse Cajun andouille with French andouille, which is a tripe sausage typical of Lyons.

HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS STUFFING
by Chef Jenny Chamberlain

INGREDIENTS – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
Hudson Valley Foie Gras, Deveined, cut in 3/4” cubes – 10 oz
Sauternes Wine, for marinating – 1/2 cup
Toasted Croissant, 1” cubes – 4 cups
Leeks, sliced – 1/2 cup
Garlic Cloves, sliced – 4 each
Butter, salted – 1 stick
Egg, each – 1 each
Cornish Game Hen – 2

METHOD
1. Take out the primary veins of the liver using your finger or a paring knife. Cut in ¾” cubes and marinade with the sauternes wine.
2. Cut croissant into ¾” cubes and toast in a 375 degree oven until golden and dry, (5-10 minutes)
3. Sauté leeks and garlic in butter until soft. Season with Salt and pepper.
4. Remove liver from the sauternes. Add foie gras cubes, butter, leeks, garlic and egg into a mixing bowl equipped with the paddle attachment. Whip on med/high speed until creamed together.
5. Add toasted croissant to bowl and mix to incorporate.
6. Season Game hens with salt and pepper inside and out. Rub butter or duck fat on the outside of the skin. Stuff birds then truss for even cooking.
7. Roast in 425 degree oven for 20 minutes to oven sear skin. Lower heat to 375 and continue roasting for 30-40 minutes or until an internal temperature of 158 degrees. Allow to rest for a minimum of 10 minutes in order for juices to redistribute.

HATIKVA CHARCOAL-GRILLED FOIE GRAS with DUCK-PROSCIUTTO-FIG-CARDAMOM JAM and POMEGRANATE GLAZE
by Michael Ginor

Having spent my childhood years in Israel, one of the largest foie gras producers and exporters in the world, I was exposed to this delicacy at an early age. Though most of the Israeli-produced livers were exported, the lower grades were consumed by locals in outdoor tavernas in the Hatikva neighborhood of Tel Aviv, where foie gras was cubed, skewered, and charcoal-grilled. Pomegranate and figs, indigenous to the region, provide the sweet acidity necessary to balance the richness of the foie gras. Furthermore, ancient Egyptians fattened geese with plump figs, framing the preparation in a historical context. Duck prosciutto, a natural complement to figs, adds depth and nuttiness. Incorporating cardamom and ginger into the fig jam infuses the dish with an exotic Middle Eastern essence. -Michael Ginor

Yield: 6 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS

FIG JAM – Purchase Duck Prosciutto Online
1 pound fresh figs or 3/4 pound dried, diced
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tablespoon ginger, peeled and minced
10 cardamom pods, lightly cracked and tied into a cheesecloth sachet
2 cups port
Juice of 2 lemons
4 ounces duck prosciutto, finely diced
In a small saucepan combine the figs, red onion, ginger, cardamom, anad port and set over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning, until the mixture acquires the consistency of a thick jam. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. After the mixture has cooled slightly, discard the cardamom sachet. Stir in the cubed duck prosciutto and set aside.

POMEGRANATE GLAZE
Juice of 3 pomegranates (see Chef Notes)
3 tablespoons sugar
In a small saucepan, combine the pomegranate juice and sugar and reduce the mixture to a glaze, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

GRILLED FOIE GRAS – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
1 pound foie gras, cut into 6 slices, each about 2 and 1/2 ounces and 3/4-inch thick
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Score the foie gras and season with salt and pepper. Grill over charcoal, turning once, cooking the medallions for a scant minute per side, depending on the temperature of the grill. Be prepared to control flare-ups with a water-filled squirt bottle.

GRILLED PITA
1 pita bread
Duck or foie gras fat
3 cardamom pods, toasted and ground
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
Brush the pita on both sides with the duck or foie gras fat and season with the cardamom, salt and pepper. Cut the pita into six triangles and grill on both sides.

GARNISH
3 fresh figs quartered
Duck or foie gras fat
6 long chives
Sea salt
Black pepper, freshly cracked
Pomegranate seeds

SERVICE AND GARNISH
Brush half the figs with fat and grill lightly. To serve, set a ring mold in the center of one of six serving plates, spoon in one-sixth of the fig jam, and remove the mold. Place a grilled pita wedge on top of the jam. Balance a grilled foie gras medallion on top of the pita, and place both a grilled and a fresh piece of fig on top of the foie gras. Spppon some of the pomegranate glaze over the foie gras and around the plate. Drizzzle some of the rendered fat around each plate. Garnish with chives, a sprinkle of sea salt, cracked black pepper, and pomegranate seeds.

CHEF NOTES
If you do not wish to make your own duck prosciutto, cured Chinese duck legs (available at Chinese grocers), smoked duck breast, or pork prosciutto may be substituted. Pomegranate syrup, purchase at Middle Eastern specialty stores, may be substituted for the pomegranate glaze. Bring to a boil, but do not reduce before serving. If a charcoal grill is not available, seared foie gras may be substituted.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
2-inch ring mold
Charcoal grill

CRISPED SAUTEED FOIE GRAS with BUTTERED GOLDEN DELICIOUS APPLES and MELFOR VINEGAR
by Andre Soltner

Apples and foie gras are often paired in Alsace, where Andre Soltner was raised. Andre dredges the foie gras slices in flour and then sautes them in sweet butter. This technique is typical of the region, where goose foie gras predominant. When heated, goose liver release its fat more readily than duck liver, and the flour crust helps lessen the amount of fat last in the pan. The crust also adds a pleasant textural element to the finished dish. Though most chefs sear Moulard foie gras without flour or butter, Andre retains the technique to enhance the authentic character of the dish.

YIELDS: 6 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS

Buttered Apples
4 Golden Delicious apples, peeled and cored (see Chef Notes)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cut each apple into 8 slices. IN a large saute pan, heat the butter and add the apple slices. Saute over medium heat about 3 minutes on each side, until the apples become slightly caramelized. Remove the apple slices from the pan and keep warm. Reserve the pan to cook the foie gras.

Foie Gras – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
1 and 1/2 ponds foie gras, cut into 12 slices, each about 2 ounces and 1/2-inch thick
All-purpose flour for dredging
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons Melfor vinegar (see Chef Notes)
1/2 cup veal stock or duck stock
Dredge the slices of foie gras in the flour and season with salt pepper. Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in the pan used to cook the apples and saute the foie gras slices over medium heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. The liver should be nicely browned on the outside, and slightly pink inside. On six warm plates, arrange 4 or 5 apple slices and 2 pieces of foie gras. Pour off all of the fat from the pan. Over high heat, briefly deglaze the pan with the vinegar, then add the stock and reduce by half. Lower the temperature and whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. cook for another 2 minutes, making sure the sauce does not boil or separate. Pour the sauce over the foie gras and the apples and serve.

Chef Notes
Depending on what is in season, you may substitute other cooking apples for the Golden Delicious. Melfor vinegar is a honey vinegar that is common in Alsace. Apple cider vinegar makes an acceptable substitution.

JERK FOIE GRAS with ROASTED SWEET POTATO, COCONUT, LIME, and SOTCH BONNET
by Chef Allen Susser

Allen Susser adapts the jerk method – a barbecue technique from Jamaica that involves rubbing a fiery dry spice mixture on meat and cooking it over hot coals, often in oil drums on the side of the road – to prepare a spicy grilled foie gras. The roasted sweet potato, pineapple, and coconut add another Caribbean element to the dish, as well as a contrast of flavors and textures.

Yield: 8 MAIN COURSE SERVINGS

Jerk Foie Gras – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
4 whole scallions
1 cup red wine
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup ground allspice
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon tamarind pulp
1 teaspoon course salt
1 teaspoon minced Scotch Bonnet pepper
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
1 and 1/2 pounds foie gras, cut into 8 slices, each about 3 ounces and 1/4-inch thick
In a large ceramic bowl, combine all the ingredients except the foie gras. Toss the foie gras slices with this seasoning mixture, cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Roasted Sweet Potato
3 cups sweet potato, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 cups fresh pineapple, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon diced serrano chili, seeds removed
2 cups coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small roasting pan, combine the sweet potato, pineapple, and 3 tablespoons of the olive oil. Roast for 20 minutes, until the potato starts to soften. Remove a quarter of the roasted ingredients, reserve, and continue to roast the remaining ingredients for an additional 20 minutes or until slightly caramelized to golden brown. In a medium saute pan, saute the serrano chili in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Add the reserved potato and pineapple mixture, the coconut milk, lime juice, salt, and pepper. Over medium heat, reduce this mixture by half. Puree the reduced mixture in a food processor until smooth. Set aside both the puree and the roasted potato and pineapple mixture, and keep warm.

Garnish
Fresh lemon thyme

Service and Garnish
Preheat a grill or grill pan until very hot. Grill each piece of foie gras for 30 seconds on each side, charring the outside while leaving the inside medium rare. Spoon a pool of puree onto each of eight serving plates. Top with the roasted sweet potato and pineapple mixture and finish with a medallion of grilled foie gras. Garnish with a sprig of fresh lemon thyme.

DELICATA SQUASH AND GRANNY SMITH APPLE SOUP WITH FOIE GRAS TORTELLINI, TOASTED PUMPKIN SEEDS, AND CHESTNUT CREAM by Chef Don Pintabona

Don Pintabon uses foie gras butter, which is essentially an enriched mousse, to act as a liaison to bind and thicken the squash and apple soup. Foie gras butter is also used as the filling for the tortellini to create an intense flavor that explodes in the mouth. The toasted pumpkin seed oil, a traditional Austrian condiment, accents the autumnal character of this satisfying soup.

Yield: 8 Appetizer Servings

Foie Gras Butter – Purchase Foie Gras Mousse Online
1 cup foie gras mousse
1/3 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
Place the foie gras mousse and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Process until thoroughly combined. Refrigerate.

Squash and Apple Soup
3 tablespoons butter
2 medium onions, chopped
1/2 cup calvados
6 cups light chicken stock, plus 1 cup extra to adjust consistency
2 medium Idaho potatoes, peeled and chopped
4 whole start anise
1 bay leaf
1 vanilla bean, 2 inches long, split
6 delicata squash, seeded and chopped
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and chopped
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
1/3 cut foie gras butter
In a stock pot, melt the butter over low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the calvados and cook until the mixture is almost dry. Add the stock, potatoes, star anise, bay leaf, and vanilla bean, and simmer over medium heat for 10 minutes. Add the squash and apples, and simmer until soft. Remove the bay leaf, star anise, and vanilla bean, and puree the soup in batches, in a food processor or blender, until smooth. Adjust the consistency with more stock, if necessary. Strain the soup through a coarse sieve or china cap and season with salt and pepper. Chill until needed.

Foie Gras Tortellini – Purchase Fresh Foie Gras Online
24 wonton wrappers, cut into 1&1/2-inch circles
2/3 cup foie gras butter
1 egg, beaten
Place a teaspoon of the foie gras butter in the center of the wonton wrapper. Fold the wrapper over the butter to make tortellini. Seal the edges with the beaten egg. Repeat this process to create 16-24 tortellini. Reserve tortellini and leftover foie gras butter until service.

Chestnut Cream
1/3 cup unsweetened chestnut puree, canned or fresh
1/4 cup creme fraiche, plus more if necessary
Combine chestnut puree and the creme fraiche. The mixture should have the consistency of honey. Make adjustments as needed.

Garnish
4 ounces foie gras, diced
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 delicata squash, cut into 8 half-moon shapes
4 lady apples, sliced lengthwise
Toasted pumpkin seed oil
8 sage leaves
16 whole star anise
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a very hot saute pan, cook the diced foie gras for about 30 seconds. Toast the pumpkin seeds in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and blanch the squash for 1 minute. Place the lady apples on a sheet pan, cut side down, and roast until soft, about 10 to 15 minutes. Reserve the pumpkin seed oil, sage, and star anise until service.

Service and Garnish
Bring the soup to a boil and remove from the heat. Whisk in 2/3 cup foie gras butter. Place the tortellini in boiling water and cook for 2 minutes. Ladle the hot soup into eight bowls. Add 2 to 3 tortellini to each bowl. Place a dollop of chestnut cream in the center of each bowl, and drizzle the pumpkin seed oil around it. Gently arrange the toasted pumpkin seeds, 1 sage leaf, a piece of squash, 2 star anise, and half a lady apple in each bowl.

SAUTERNES GASTRIQUE, CORN NUT GASTRIQUE, CHERRY BOURBON COMPOTE by Chef Jenny Chamberlain

– Purchase Torchon of Duck Foie Gras
– Purchase Fresh Foie Gras

Top – Sauternes gastrique with torchon
Left – corn nut Sauternes gastrique with seared foie
Right – smoked foie with cherry bourbon compote

Sauternes Recipe:
White sugar- 1/2 cup
Sauternes- 1/2 cup
Vinegar – 1/2 cup
Pinch of salt, white pepper

Corn nut option:
Add corn nuts while reducing the gastrique to develop and marry the flavors.
Strain and serve.  Garnish with chopped corn nuts

Method:
Add all ingredients to medium saucepan.
Bring to simmer over medium heat and allow to reduce for 15 minutes or until it has reached a syrupy consistency.

Serve with duck or, more specifically, torchon of duck foie gras or seared foie gras deliciousness.

Cherry bourbon compote:

Ingredients-
Shallots, small dice- 1/2 cup
Garlic, minced- 1 tbsp
Sweet cherries, pitted, chopped- 1 cup
Brown sugar- 1tbsp
Bourbon- 1/2 cup
Sriracha- 1 tsp
Salt and black pepper to taste

Method-
Saute shallots in rendered duck fat until soft.  Add garlic to pan and continue to cook until aromatic.  Roughly 1 minute.  Add the cherries and cook for 5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with the bourbon add brown sugar and reduce to syrup consistency.  Finish with Sriracha.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with duck or, more specifically, smoked foie gras or seared Magret.