Chef’s Recipe: Confit of Villermain Foie Gras and Rapeseed Oil by Christophe Hay

Ingredients (serves 6): 

For the foie gras:
- Fresh Villermain duck foie gras (approx. 0.500 kg).
- 0.020 l cognac.
- 0.004 kg ground pepper.

For the flavored salt:
- 0.200 kg fine salt.
- 3 kg coarse, unprocessed Guérande salt.
- 50 agastache leaves.
- 0.020 kg spice mix
(coriander, fennel, cardamom…).

For the parsley pesto:
- 3 bunches parsley.
- 0.500 kg baby spinach leaves.
- 0.100 l Guénard toasted Rapeseed oil.

For the parsnip garnish:
- 3 kg parsnips.
- 0.200 l milk.
- 0.100 l white stock.

For the duck jus vinaigrette:
- 5 kg duck carcass.
- 0.100 kg flour.
- 0.200 kg onions.
- 0.200 kg shallots.
- Garlic, thyme, bay.
- 0.100 l wild garlic vinegar.
- 0.200 l Guénard toasted rapeseed oil.

For the wild garlic vinegar gel:
- 0.100 l wild garlic vinegar.
- 0.004 kg xanthan gum.

For the wild herb salad:
- Salad burnet, oxalis, chickweed,
flat-leaf parsley, chives, sage, olive herb
… (and others depending on the season and crop).

Instructions:

For the flavored salt:
Blend the fine salt with the agastache leaves and spices.
Add the mixture to the coarse salt and chill for several days to properly incorporate the spice and agastache aromas.

For the foie gras:
Carefully devein the lobes and close each lobe back up again before marinating in the cognac and pepper.
Roll in plastic wrap, being careful to maintain the shape.
Chill the foie gras, then remove the plastic wrap and cover in the salt, agastache and spice mixture overnight (for eight to ten hours).
After the cooking is complete, remove the foie gras from the salt, carefully wipe off any excess salt and rewrap the foie gras in plastic wrap.
Chill and leave to rest for at least 24 hours before use.

For the flat-leaf parsley pesto:
Blanch the trimmed parsley and baby spinach leaves in salted boiling water for seven minutes, then chill in ice.
Drain the leaves and finely blend in a Thermomix.
Smooth out the paste with Guénard toasted Rapeseed oil and strain.
Season and chill.

For the parsnip garnish:
Begin by peeling all the parsnips.
Then cook two pieces of parsnip in salted milk.
Once cooked, chop into cylinders 1 cm thick and 2 cm wide.
Set aside for plating.
Cut a raw parsnip into quarters.
Roast on two sides in beurre noisette, then cover with the white stock and leave to cook. Once they are cooked, set aside on a rack to drain at room temperature.
Finish by making parsnip chips. Heat the frying oil to 140 C° and cut thin slices 1 mm thick.
Fry the parsnip for a few minutes.
Remove from the fryer and season.
Set aside in a dry place.

For the duck jus vinaigrette:
Roast the duck carcasses in the oven until they are golden brown.
After cooking, sprinkle flour over the bones and replace in the oven to toast the flour.
Brown the chopped onions and shallots in a casserole dish.
Add the bones to the casserole dish with the browned garnish, taking care to deglaze well.
Add the herbs and cover with water.
Cook for two hours over a low heat.
Pass through a cloth strainer, deglaze and reduce until a good level of thickness has been achieved.