Foie Gras Torchon

 

What is a torchon????  Upon one of my sous chef's returning my copy of The French Laundry cookbook, I was inspired to make a foie gras torchon and add it as a component to a new dish I've been writing.  Torchon literally means dish towel referring to the technique of wrapping the poached foie gras in a side towel and hanging in the refrigerator overnight. This is such an easy way to prepare foie gras and showcase why it's considered a true delicacy.  After asking some of the cooks what does torchon mean I thought it would be worth a few minutes to share the process.  After soaking the foie gras in milk overnight to remove any extra blood, it's marinated in kosher salt, white pepper, granulated sugar, and pink salt overnight. The foie gras is then shaped into a cylinder using parchment paper and then tightly bound with cheesecloth using butchers twine to secure on both ends and also a few ties around the center to hold it's shape while cooking. I poached the torchon in seasoned chicken stock for just under 2 minutes and then quickly placed into ice water to stop the cooking process. After a few minutes of chilling, I wrapped it tightly in a dish towel and secured again with butchers twine on both ends. The foie gras torchon is now hanging in the cooler overnight before I will slice into and begin finalizing my new dish.  Stay tuned.....