"We buy our foie gras from D’Artagnan," Knott adds. "It’s available on their website, dartagnan.com. Whole Foods and Restaurant Depot sometimes carry foie gras, too, but call before you go. Buy slices that give you a 5-ounce average per person."
FOIE GRAS WITH GRAPE PURÉE AND PISTACHIOS
Ingredients:
1 lobe, Grade A foie gras.
1 loaf, Balthazar raisin walnut pan loaf (available from Balthazar Bakery in Englewood, also sold at some Whole Foods stores)
1/4 lb pistachios (raw, or roasted and salted. If you buy raw, toss with a touch of olive oil and roast 5 minutes in a 350 degree oven on a baking sheet or in a sauté pan.)
1 small bottle toasted pistachio oil (available at specialty stores such as Whole Foods or Chef Central)
9 ozs red seedless grapes, cut in half
3 ozs red wine (merlot works well)
2 ozs red verjus (unfermented tart grape juice)
1 oz red wine vinegar
3 ozs ruby port
2 ozs granulated sugar
salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
Method:
1) In a heavy-bottom pot, add grapes, red wine, red verjus, red wine vinegar, ruby port, sugar and bay leaf and cook 20 minutes over medium heat.
2) Remove bay leaf and process the mixture in a blender 1-2 minutes on high speed, until you have a silky-smooth purée.
3) Taste the mixture for seasoning, add a little salt if necessary. The flavor should be sweet-and-sour with an intense grape flavor.
4) If you are using the purée immediately, keep it warm in a small plastic container with a tight lid in a pot of water on the lowest possible flame. (If you are not using the purée immediately, cool it completely and refrigerate in an air tight container for up
to 4-5 days, or up to 6 months in the freezer.)
5) Score the foie gras. That means make small incisions in the flesh in a criss-cross pattern. (For a 3-inch long piece, make 3 incisions in each direction, creating 3 X’s. Do not cut deeper than 1/8 of an inch!)
6) Meanwhile, slice the walnut-raisin bread, one piece per person. Cut off the crust. Butter each slice lightly on both sides. Season with salt.
7) Over a medium-low flame, toast the slices on both sides in a pan large enough to hold at least one slice at a time.
8) Choose a sauté pan large enough to hold all the foie gras slices at once, with plenty of room to spare. Overcrowding will make the foie gras steam and not develop a crust. If you don’t have one pan big enough, use more than one pan.
9) Over a medium high flame, heat the sauté pan, dry, until it is almost smoking. Season the foie gras slices liberally on both sides with salt and freshly cracked pepper.
10) Place the foie gras slices in the hot dry pan and cook on one side 2 minutes until a nice crust forms, then 1-2 minutes on the other side.
11) Remove slices from the pan and place on a paper towel to drain.
12) Prepare your serving plates. Place a tablespoon of grape purée in the middle of each plate and make a small circle in the center.
13) Cut slices of walnut-raisin toast in half. Place halved slices in the center of the purée.
14) Place a slice of seared foie gras on top of the walnut-raisin toast. Sprinkle some toasted, salted pistachios on and around the foie gras.
15) Drizzle 1/4 teaspoon of pistachio oil around the plate for garnish. Serve immediately.