Julien Poisot’s Bouyssou Farm Duck Foie Gras

Serves 4.

Ingredients

• 1 lobe of quality duck foie gras
• 2 Maco artichokes
• 2 duck legs
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• garlic, thyme, and bay leaf
• 25cl white wine
• 25cl duck cooking liquor
• 50cl chicken stock
• 15cl avèze
• 1/2 soup spoon duck fat
• micro flowers and leaves
• beetroot shoots
• sorrel shoots
• cress shoots

Method

To prepare the duck foie gras:

1. Separate the large part of the lobe from the small part.
2. Cut 4 thick slices in the large lobe, and put aside the small lobe and trimmings for other preparations.
3. With a knife criss-cross each slice of foie gras, season and keep in the fridge.

To prepare the duck legs:

1. Season the duck legs, then colour in hot fat in a pan. Add the aromatic garnish, chopped onion and carrot, the herbs and the garlic and allow to soften.
2. Deglaze the pan with the white wine.
3. Once the wine is reduced by half, add the stock, cover with a lid and gently cook for a good hour. The legs are cooked when the meat falls from the bones.
4. Pass off the cooking liquor as well as the vegetables and herbs.
5. Take the meat off the bones and tear it up with your fingers.
6. Put the vegetables and the meat into a thick bottomed pan and reduce right down until rich and thick.
7. Dice up half of the small lobe and at to this mix along with 8cl of avèze. Check the seasoning.

To prepare the artichokes:

1. Trim the artichokes, taking off the outside leaves. Remove the “haylike” center.
2. Place the center a vacuum bag with salt, pepper and a splash of olive oil.
3. Seal the bag and steam for 50 minutes at 85°C.

To finish the dish:

1. Bring the duck jus to the boil with the rest of the foie gras trimmings, leave to simmer 5 minutes. Add the avèze, blend and pass through a fine sieve. Check the taste and season accordingly.
2. Garnish the artichokes with the duck mix then cut each in half and keep warm.
3. In a hot but not smoking pan, place the foie gras slices.
4. Marked side face down, and add half soup spoon of duck fat, then finish in an oven at 180°C for about 4/5 minutes.
5. Garnish the artichokes with the young shoots and artichoke crisps and put in the center of the plate with a generous serving of sauce.

Recipe courtesy of Julien Poisot of Michelin-starred Le Duèze at Château de Mercuès in France.