Duck Foie Gras, Grade "B"

What it is:  Fresh Duck Foie Gras (liver), Grade B

Details:  1 lobe foie gras, vacuum-packed; lasts up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 1 year in the freezer. 1.6-pound lobe, $72; 1.3-pound lobe, $58.50; 1-pound lobe $45.
When you receive your foie gras, immediately refrigerate it at 30 - 32° F for optimum storage!

Who makes it:  Sonoma Artisan Foie Gras, Francofile farmers in California's Sonoma Valley.

Why I love it:  Foie gras is the absolute splurge in my kitchen. If there's any one ingredient that I save up for, this is it. Traveling through France's Perigord region originally endeared me to it. Along with so many other tourists, I've tucked more than a few jars into my bags to bring home and share with friends. It's a victual pleasure that's like none other; silken meat butter is the best way to describe it. As much as I love traveling to France, I'm pretty thrilled that we have a small family farm producing foie gras just like what you'd find in the Perigord. Sonoma-Artisan is dedicated to high-quality all through the process, from raising the ducklings free-range to the traditional fattening stage, to butchering the ducks. The resulting foie gras is luscious, clean, and easy to cook with.

How I’ll use this in my kitchen:  Grade B foie gras is a bit smaller than grade A, with a somewhat softer density throughout and some blemishes.  It's what you're looking for if you want to make pâtés.  That said, in many cases it works quite nicely sautéed.  I like to pair seared or pâté of foie gras with fruit preserves full of sweet sour character.  Some of my favorites are Boat Street Cafe's line of Pickled Fruits, Loulou's Garden Sour Cherry Jam and Cherry Mostarda or Champlain Orchards Apple Cider Syrup.  

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