Let’s take a deep breath here.
Whew.
Alright. Foie gras. Here we go.
Many people think of foie gras as a rich food to be enjoyed by the wealthy at fine restaurants. Others imagine that the decision to eat foie gras at all is a poor one, morally speaking. Still others don’t even know what the heck it is: “F-f-f-faux what?!”
All of this - to a great extent - is understandable.
Foie gras. I mean, it’s French. It’s foreign. It’s unfamiliar. It’s one of those things that well-to-do but out-of-touch Americans might - dishonestly - rave about upon their return from lavish vacations a la “Par-ee” in “Frawnce”. Still worse, it involves what animal rights activists would - somewhat inaccurately - call “force-feeding”, a term that makes us all think, “Gee, I wouldn’t like to be force-fed”, and thus we anthropomorphize the duck.
The duck! Ah, the graceful, filter-feeding waterfowl of great physiological capabilities! The flying, swimming, diving predator that can fit a fish larger than its own head down its flexible, keratinous gullet!
That’s correct - ducks don’t have the restrictions that we do when it comes to feeding. In fact, just prior to the winter migration, they gorge. They devour like gluttons whatever Mother Nature has to offer, and, perchance, if a hunter were to take one of these beautiful beasties just as it was lifting off to head south … and, perchance, if he were to open the body cavity of that duck when cleaning it, he would behold a rich, golden, fatty foie (i.e. “liver”).
Egyptian workers hand-feeding grain pellets to geese. (Image in the Public Domain)
Which brings us to an interesting point. Egypt, as we know, has a fairly warm climate. But the situation is such that the earliest recorded history of foie gras production is in the form of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Not only this, but we have evidence that it wasn’t the Egyptian aristocracy that initially demanded foie on its plates, but rather Egyptian slaves. You read well. Slaves. Foie gras started as a poor man’s food. What humble origins for the beautiful, creamy, delicious meat-butter. But then again, there’s the po’-boy.
So how do we eat it? Hot, seared on both sides. Cold, as a terrine (cooked at a low heat, refrigerated, and then sliced). Cured, as a torchon (elongated roll of cured foie gras). Canned, as a päté or mousse. Eat it how you like it. Place a thin slice on your favorite steak. Stuff some pieces in a hamburger patty. Have it with poutine. Make a foie gras milkshake! Once you try it, you’ll note its versatility of application.
Moreover, and finally, foie gras can be raised well (or poorly), just as chicken, pigs, and cattle can be raised well (or poorly). We are in the business of respecting our livestock: firstly, because we know it’s the right thing to do, secondly, because a stress-free duck is a tastier duck (thus one that a customer enjoys and buys more of), and thirdly, because we humans are happier when we act in accord with our principles! Therefore, we raise our ducks on pasture with access to fresh grass, fermented whole grains, formulated dry feed, and clean water to drink. When we take them into the barn for the hand-feeding, we inspect each duck individually and ensure that we give them no more than they could comfortably digest in the wild.
We know that a beautiful product comes from a beautiful process. Hopefully, you will enjoy it as much as we do. Come see us at the farm anytime.
Ste. Jeanne d’Arc, prie pour nous.
- Ross
*To read more about how we raise our ducks, visit our “What is Foie Gras” page and read about “The Farm.”