Fois Gras on Top Chef last night/graphic pix added not by me!!!!!!!

[Ace_king_brahma]

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Eygptians were the first...at least recorded to make fois gras.

I will find out what plain goose liver is like once I process couple of my geese's offspring next year.

 

[greyfields]

A plain gooses liver is fantastic! I use them to make country pates. It's no fois gras though.

 

[SeaChick]

OK, well Wikipedia has a GREAT page on it, including a bas-relief from ancient Egypt depicting force-feeding geese!

Some excerpts on the non-invasive way to get foie gras

Fattened liver can be produced by alternative methods without gavage, and this is referred to either as "fatty goose liver" or as foie gras (outside France), though it does not conform to the French legal definition, and there is debate about the quality of the liver produced. This method involves timing the slaughter to coincide with the winter migration, when livers are naturally fattened.[4] This has only recently been produced commercially, and is a very small fraction of the market.

Award-winning Spanish producer Patería de Sousa produces foie gras under the brand Ganso Ibérico by taking advantage of the natural instinct of geese to fatten their livers in preparation for migration,[4] which results in a seasonal product, as slaughter can only happen in winter, prior to migration. Others have expressed skepticism at these claims of humane treatment,[46] as earlier attempts to produce fattened livers without gavage have not produced satisfactory results.[47] In 2006, Schiltz Goose Farms began developing non-force-fed fatty goose livers by similar seasonal methods,[48][49] producing their first "fatty goose livers" in 2007, with sizes two to three times that of normal goose livers (by comparison with up to six times for force-fed geese).

......veeeeery interesting!!!!!!!!......[/​

 

[UncleHoot]

It's interesting... This is an issue that I only heard about a few weeks ago. Before that, I never knew what foie gras was, nor did I care. Now this issue keeps popping up everywhere I turn.

Personally, I find the force-feeding an awful thing to do to an animal, so I would never do it, nor would I support it by ordering foie gras. But what is really strange to me is that we have so many laws regarding what you can or can't do to your dogs and cats, and yet with livestock (esp. factory-farmed), "abuse" is apparently acceptible, if it produces cheaper food (or in this case, something otherwise unobtainable). Certainly if a man was found force-feeding his cats like this, for any reason, he would certainly be in deep legal trouble.

 

[SewingDiva]

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Stacey, I'm quoting your comment out of context, so please forgive me, and I only do it because I have to be honest and say this was my reaction as well - it did taste good. So I'm quoting you only so tht I can explain better how I feel about this, and I'm not trying to spin your words.

Yes, was delicious. It's like sort of like a the most amazing kosher chopped chicken liver pate, only a 100 times sweeter and creamier. BUT - was it a life changing experience and did I really like it any more than any of the other unsual and hard- to-find-foods I've eaten? Is it better than a fresh heirloom tomato from my own garden?

No.

Did I enjoy it enough to eat it again?

No.

~Phyllis

 

[chickfillhay]

Hey folks. I'm glad we are talking about this subject. I see that we are quite passionate about this. Pro or Con.

:aww Greyfields I didn't mean to pick on you like that. But you can't blame a girl for trying to get her point across. Even though it was a bit more drama than you anticipated. By the way, You're not a bad looking goose!

Although we disagree on this subject. (and probably some other subjects too!) It doesn't mean I am judging you. I will never place judgement on anybody anywhere. The point of bringing up this subject at all is to inform and get folks talking about something that isn't really addressed all that often. And I think this forum has accomplished that.

............LOVE...........

 

[ninjapoodles]

Alex and I were able to have a fantastic, several-course, 3+ hour meal at the 5-diamond Victoria & Albert's restaurant at Disney World last December. For our second course, I had Ballotine of Poulet Rouge with Chicken Consomme', Scottish Chanterelles and Black Truffles, while Alex chose to try the Pan Roasted Foie Gras with Fuji Apples and Mostarda di Crimona.

I can't stand the taste of animal fat or blood, so I never order any meat or poultry that is fatty or rare--I also do not care for the flavor of organ meat. So obviously foie gras is out of the question for me. Alex tried hard to get me to taste his dish, and I got a bit as far as the tip of my tongue, but couldn't eat it. HE, however, proclaimed it to be "possibly the best thing I have ever eaten in my life."

Can't prove it by me, though. Bleah.

And yeah, I was going to mention "pink" veal. Quite humane--I recently saw a segment of one of Gordon Ramsay's shows where they went around London trying to educate people about British pink veal and overcome the preconceived notions about calves locked in boxes, unable to move. They did taste tests, too, in which the pink veal was as good as or better than the white.

 

[greyfields]

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Gordon Ramsey should get medals for the good work he's doing. He's trying his very hardest to bring seasonality back to British Cuisines... and with a hefty dose of Locality and Tradition cuisine. For as much as you can criticize English cuisine for using non-conventional parts of animals, I find this adventerous spirit (or from necessity) a highly ethical way of handling animals which are used for meat. I can't stand the thought of parts of my lamb or beef going to waste because people think they are "icky".

If you can eat the tenderloin, you should eat the heart.

 

[MissPrissy]

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Well said.

 

[SewingDiva]

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Well said.

I agree as well. This view also supports the sustainable meat movement that you both partricipate in because one reason that organ meats have fallen out of favor is that I believe the antibiotics and hormones fed to animals collect in their organs.

I can still rmember eating calves kidney and liver as a kid and I'm turning 50 next Friday, so it weasn't all that long ago when you coudl still find them in regular grocery stores. Hopefully this summer, when we first have access to the grass feed beef we'll get via our CSA that I can finally (and safely) introduce my kids to organ meats.

~Phyllis