Semi-cooked foie gras with cognac, pain d’épices and Cognac XO

Ingredients

• 1 extra-grade raw duck foie gras (500 g)
• 6 g fine salt
• 2 g ground white pepper
• 1 g sugar
• 3 cl cognac
• 8 slices of pain d’épices, 1 cm thick
• 2 unwaxed oranges
• 80 g sugar for the candied orange
• 10 cl water
• Fleur de sel

Method

1. 1

   Three days before the meal, take the foie gras out of the fridge 1 hour in advance so that it softens. Separate the two lobes and carefully remove the main veins with a small knife, damaging the flesh as little as possible.

2. 2

   Mix the salt, pepper and sugar, sprinkle it over all sides of the foie gras, then drizzle with the cognac.

3. 3

   Pack the lobes into a 500 g terrine, reshaping them, smooth side facing out. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for 12 hours in the fridge.

4. 4

   The next day, preheat the oven to 100 °C. Remove the cling film, place the terrine in a dish filled halfway with hot water and cook for 35 to 45 minutes, until the core reaches 50 °C on a cooking thermometer.

5. 5

   Take the terrine out of the bain-marie, leave to cool slightly, cover and refrigerate for at least 48 hours before serving, so that the flavours meld.

6. 6

   For the candied orange, pare the orange zest into thin strips, blanch for 2 minutes in boiling water, then drain.

7. 7

   Squeeze the oranges. Bring their juice to a simmer with the water and the 80 g of sugar, add the zest and leave to candy over a low heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until syrupy. Leave to cool.

8. 8

   Just before serving, toast the slices of pain d’épices for 1 to 2 minutes on each side in a dry frying pan.

9. 9

   Dip a knife blade in hot water, cut the foie gras into thick slices and arrange them with the pain d’épices, a spoonful of candied orange and a few flakes of fleur de sel.