The Most Delicious Thing I Have Ever Tasted is Foie Gras. Please Don't Hate Me.

It's not my fault that geese are full of delicious meat.

I get asked a lot what my favorite thing to eat is. That's a hard question to answer. There are so many variables that come into play with a question like this; time of day, where I am, what my mood calls for, and how much I can afford to pay for what it is I want to eat. But generally I can tell you that foie gras is friggin' incredible. I'll eat it every chance I get; once I was in Las Vegas for a convention, and I had foie gras at dinner every night for a week. But hollandaise sauce would be close second.

Now, I imagine that some of you reading this are not going to agree with the opinions and choices I make in regard to the ethical and moral issues surrounding foie gras. You all have the right to you opinion. Some of you may be totally vegan; you don't eat anything with a face, and you don't use there body parts for anything else either (although, not many of you can make this claim). Some of you may not eat red meat, but you're OK with chicken and fish. Further, some of you may simply object to the way these geese are raised. I respect your opinion, but I don't have to agree with it.

I have done some research on how these animals are raised, and I believe that they are farmed in a humane manner. And if you eat beef, chicken, pork or fish, I assure you that factory farms are slaughtering their animals in a much more gruesome way than farms that raise geese for foie gras do. Of course, you can address the issue of dining on foie gras on your own.

If you've never tried it, well, I guess you'll have to make that decision on your own. But I can tell you what it tastes like: beef flavored butter. There is so much fat in foie gras, that you can render it down almost completely into a liquid. There are lots of ways to eat it; in a terrine, seared, mousse, but I prefer seared for about 30 seconds on each side. It's so rich that it's usually served with a sweet sauce (reduced fruit preserves are a good choice), to offset the heaviness of the fat. Most portions are small, 2-3 ounces, as it tastes really, really, good, but after a few bites your brain is telling you "enough of that"! I buy whole lobes and cook it myself, and I can still only eat 5-6 ounces at a sitting. FYI, 3 ounces of foie gras has about 40 grams of fat, as a comparison, a whole Big Mac has 33 grams of fat...

As of a few weeks ago, foie gras became illegal to sell or produce in California again. The law was initially written in 2004, but has been on hold due to numerous court challenges. That being said, many online stores will sell it and ship to California. If you do buy online, be prepared, it's incredibly expensive, grade A lobes run about $70 a pound.

This recipe is from D'artagnan, a producer and reseller of foie gras in New Jersey; you're using about 3 ounces per person:

1. First prepare the sauce (See suggestions below), and keep it warm while you cook the foie gras.

2. To Cook the Foie Gras... Lightly score the slices of foie gras on both sides, then season liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear in a very hot, dry skillet for about 30 seconds on each side. Before serving, sprinkle a pinch of coarse salt over each slice.

Sauces for Seared Foie Gras

You have a world of choices for a sauce to serve with foie gras. The most important thing to remember is that the fatty texture of foie gras is complemented with a balanced sauce containing both sweetness and acidity. Peaches, mango and pineapple all work well, but these are our favorites:

Simple Balsamic Reduction

Reduce 1/2 cup port and 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar by half, or to a syrupy consistency. Place slices of sautéed foie gras over mixed baby field greens, drizzle on port balsamic reduction, and serve.

Easy Apple

Heat 3/4 cup fresh, unsweetened applesauce (without cinnamon) with a splash of balsamic vinegar. Peel and slice 1 green apple. Sauté the slices in 1 tablespoon each butter and sugar until the sugar caramelizes. Spoon the applesauce onto a plate, add slices of sautéed foie gras, then top with apple slices.

Green Grape Sauce

Purée about 20 seedless green grapes with ½ cup sweet vermouth. Strain into a saucepan and boil until reduced to 1/2 cup. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of duck and veal demi-glace. Taste and adjust balance of acid or sweet, adding a touch of vinegar for acid, a touch of sugar for sweetness. Drizzle sauce over slices of sautéed foie gras. You may wish to slice several grapes in half and use them as a garnish for the plate.