Pâté of Foies Gras

Ingredients

• the livers from three fine fat geese
• three-quarters of a pound of truffles
• milk for soaking
• a pound of fresh bacon
• two shallots
• eight or ten button mushrooms
• two or three grates of nutmeg
• half a salt-spoonful of powdered marjoram

Method

1. 1

   Prepare livers by soaking in milk and removing spots.

2. 2

   Slice truffles and stick into livers.

3. 3

   Mince bacon, truffles, livers, shallots, and mushrooms, season, and chop until smooth.

4. 4

   Make pastry, layer ham, forcemeat, livers, and truffles in a pie, cover, and bake for two hours.

As published

This recipe was extracted from Cassell's dictionary of cookery (1892) by Cassell & Company, page 1111. The excerpt below is the record exactly as published.

P^te of Foies Gras.— These pasties, so highly esteemed by epicures, are made at Straa- burg, and thence exported to various parts. They are prepared from the livers of geese, which have been tied down for three or four weeks to prevent them moving, and forcibly compelled to swallow, at intervals, a certain amount of fattening food. When they have become so fat that they would die in a short time, they are killed, and their livers, which have become very rich, fat, and pale during the process, are used for the above PAT (518) PAT purpose. These pates are very expensive. A good imitation of them may be made without subjecting the unfortunate geese to the cruelties described by following the direc- tions here given: — Take the livers from three fine fat geese, such as are ordinarily brought to market, and in drawing the birds be careful not to break the gall-bag, as the contents would impart a bitter taste to the livers. Carefully remove any yellow spots there may be upon them, and lay the livers in milk for six or eight houi'S to whiten; cut them in halves, and put three halves aside for forcemeat. Soak, wfish, and scrub, and peel three-quarters of a pound of truffles, carefully preserving the cuttings. Slice a third of them into narrow strips, like lardoons, and stick them into the re- mainder of the livers three-quarters of an inch apart ; sprinkle over them a little pepper, salt, and spice, and put them in a cool place until the forcemeat is made. Mince finely, first separately and afterwards together, a pound of fresh bacon, a third of the truffles, the halves of the livers that were put away for the purpose, two shallots, and eight or ten button mush- rooms ; season the mixture with plenty of popper and salt, two or three grates of nutmeg, and half a salt-spoonful of powdered mar- jora

Cook this with the app: pantry check, scaling, and the assistant.