Foie Gras Poêlé aux RaisinsPan-Seared Foie Gras with Grapes

Prepare grapes, aromatics and accompaniments

• 1 Detach 180 g white Muscat grapes from their stems. Immerse 90 g in boiling water for 10 seconds, transfer to ice water and peel with your fingers.
• 2 Leave the remaining 90 g unpeeled and dry with paper towels.
• 3 Peel 1 shallot, about 25 g, and mince very finely, or ciseler.
• 4 Slice 3 g chives into 2 mm pieces.
• 5 Wash 20 g lamb’s lettuce in cold water, spin completely dry in a salad spinner and refrigerate.
• 6 Measure 80 ml Sauternes, 120 ml brown chicken stock, 20 ml verjuice and 15 ml Armagnac separately and arrange beside the stove.
• 7 Cut 20 g unsalted butter into 1 cm cubes and return to the refrigerator to keep cold.

Trim and chill the foie gras

• 1 Use the tip of a knife to remove large blood vessels visible on the cut surfaces of the 2 chilled foie gras slices, keeping the flesh intact.
• 2 Pat dry, arrange on a clean tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until just before searing.

Make the sweet-wine sauce base

• 1 Melt 10 g butter in a small saucepan and sauté the minced shallot for 1 minute 30 seconds.
• 2 Turn off the heat briefly and pour in 15 ml Armagnac.
• 3 Return to medium heat and boil for 40–50 seconds to remove the alcohol smell.
• 4 Pour in 80 ml Sauternes and deglaze, scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to dissolve the flavorful browned deposits in the liquid.
• 5 Reduce over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until half the liquid remains.

Reduce with stock and verjuice

• 1 Pour in 120 ml brown chicken stock and reduce over medium heat for 4–5 minutes to about 60 ml.
• 2 Add 20 ml verjuice, boil for 20 seconds, taste and season with 0.5 g fleur de sel.
• 3 Turn off the heat, cover and keep warm. Do not add the remaining 10 g butter yet.

Toast the bread bases

• 1 MeanwhileWhile the bread toasts, warm 2 serving plates.
• 2 Prepare 2 slices of country bread, 1 cm thick.
• 3 Toast in a toaster oven or under a grill for 1 minute 30 seconds per side, until the edges are golden.

Season and lightly flour the foie gras

• 1 Preheat a cast-iron or heavy frying pan over medium heat without oil for 2 minutes 30 seconds.
• 2 Meanwhile, take the 2 escalopes from the refrigerator and lightly blot both sides with paper towels to remove moisture and seeped fat.
• 3 Season both sides evenly with 1.5 g fleur de sel and 0.5 g black pepper.
• 4 Sift 8 g cake flour lightly over both sides and edges through a tea strainer, then brush off the excess by hand.

Brown and cook the foie gras through

• 1 Set the preheated pan over medium-high heat and place the 2 escalopes apart in it without adding oil.
• 2 Cook undisturbed for 45–60 seconds on the first side, then lift an edge with a spatula to check the color.
• 3 Once browned, turn and lower the heat. Insert a clean thermometer from the side and ensure the center remains at 75°C or above for at least 1 minute.
• 4 Transfer to a warmed tray and cover loosely with foil.
• 5 Leave only about 2 tsp rendered fat in the pan, transferring the rest to a heatproof container.

Combine the grapes and sauce

• 1 Return the foie gras pan to medium heat. Add 90 g unpeeled and 90 g peeled grapes and warm for 60 seconds, rolling them with a wooden spoon.
• 2 Sprinkle over 5 g granulated sugar and shake the pan for another 60–90 seconds to glaze the grapes.
• 3 Add the prepared warm sauce, stir and turn off the heat. Melt in the remaining 10 g butter and coat the grapes.

Assemble and finish the plates

• 1 Place 1 slice of toast in the center of each warmed plate.
• 2 Put 1 seared foie gras slice on each toast.
• 3 Distribute grapes evenly around the foie gras and spoon sauce along the edges of the foie gras and bread.
• 4 Place half of the 20 g lamb’s lettuce at the front of each plate.
• 5 Scatter 1 g fleur de sel over the foie gras with your fingers and grind over 0.5 g black pepper.
• 6 Sprinkle the 3 g sliced chives over everything.