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foie gras |
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FOIE GRAS GLOSSARY
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Decoding
The Delicious Language Of Foie Gras
You will find that this international delicacy is of true
French origin, and most terms referring to foie gras are usually
in French. To overcome the language barrier, we’ve assembled
the most common terms in foie gras jargon and their definitions.
Foie gras [fhaw GRAH]: in French, foie means
“liver”, and gras means “fat”.
So, foie gras is the “fat liver” or fattened
liver of a force-fed (gavage) duck or goose.
Mulard [moo-LAHRD]: a hybrid
between the Muscovy duck male and the Pekin duck female used
for foie gras production. Very resilient against disease.
Muscovy duck: or Barbary duck. A wild duck
used for foie gras by crossing it with the Pekin duck female,
producing the Mulard duck used to produce foie gras.
Terrine [tuh-REEN]: A classic
French dish so called for the rectangular ceramic mold in
which it is prepared.
Pâté or pate de foie gras [pah-TAY duh]:
Term used to define a smooth goose or duck liver preparation,
usually mixed with other meats (for example, pork). The pate
is then molded into crocks or tubes and served at room temperature,
usually as a spread.
Oie [wah]: In French, goose.
Pekin: a species of duck that when crossed
with the Muscovy duck produces the foie gras-producing Mulard
duck.
Mousse [moos]: A whipped foie gras preparation
made by marinating the foie gras and gently cooking it, and
whipping its own fat.
Micuit [mee-KWEE]: In French,
“half-cooked”. This describes a foie gras product
that has been partially cooked in order to give it a longer
shelf life, which preserves most of the original flavor of
the fresh liver.
Medallion: A slice of foie gras.
Magret: the breast of a foie gras duck.
Lobe: Entire goose or duck livers are divided
into two lobes, a larger anterior lobe, and a smaller posterior
lobe. They can be used whole or separated.
Grade: Categorization that defines the quality
of commercial foie gras, based on color, size, and taste.
Can be A, B, or C.
Gascony: A region in southwest France that
is the major foie gras producer in the world.
Gavage: French term for the method of force-feeding
geese or duck to produce foie gras.
Fresh Foie Gras: non-processed, uncooked
goose or duck liver.
Entier: in French, “whole”.
Deveining: removing the blood veins from
an entire lobe of foie gras.
Confit [kohn-FEE]: A culinary preparation
that originated in Gascony, France, that preserves meat by
curing it with salt and spices and cooking slowly in its own
fat. Traditionally stored in crocks.
Canard [kah-NAR]: In French, “duck”.
Bloc: a foie gras preparation that is produced
by compressing large pieces of foie gras into a block, and
traditionally includes gourmet truffles. |
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