Rich and silky, fresh foie gras is one of the world's great foods. But until the mid-80s, due to importation restrictions and without domestic production, none was available here. Michael A. Ginor, proprietor of Hudson Valley Foie Gras, was among the first to establish production of domestic duck foie gras, which excited the livers' current popularity. Foie Gras: A Passion, by Ginor and Mitchell Davis,
Perhaps the culinary irony of transforming an ordinary diner club sandwich into an elegant upscale entree is among the reasons why Anne Rosenzweig's delicious sandwiches have become one of her signature dishes. Her lobster club was so popular she even named a restaurant after it. In this decadent version of a triple-decker sandwich, Anne layers foie gras mousse and seared foie gras between thick rounds of toasted brioche. Crunchy duck cracklings serve as bacon, tomato jam as mayonnaise, and fresh pea shoots as iceberg lettuce to complete the club-sandwich illusion.
YIELD: 6 entrée servings
TOMATO JAM
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 large onion, minced, about 1/2 cup
1 piece ginger, 1 inch long, minced
4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, juiced, and chopped
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon cardamom
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
DUCK CRACKLING
1 pound duck skin
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
3 cups rendered duck fat or vegetable oil
FOIE GRAS
1 1/2 pounds foie gras, cut into 12 slices, each about 2 ounces and 1/3-inch thick
Coarse salt
Black pepper, freshly ground
GARNISH
2 whole foie gras (Grade C), about 1 1/2 pounds total, cleaned (enough for 1 1/2 cups mousse)
18 slices brioche, cut into rounds
Pea shoots
Mustard oil (see Chef Notes)
TOMATO JAM
Combine the sugar and balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture simmer until it thickens and caramelizes, about 10 minutes, being careful not to let the mixture burn. Add the remaining ingredients and cook until the mixture thickens to a jamlike consistency, 50 to 60 minutes. Cool. Adjust the seasoning to taste.
DUCK CRACKLING
Season the duck skin with salt and pepper. Heat the duck fat or oil in a sauté pan to 375 degrees and fry the skin until cripsy, from 10 to 20 minutes depending on the thickness and fattiness of the skin. Remove the skin with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and allow to cool. Cut the crisp skin into bacon-shaped strips, and season again with salt and pepper to taste.
FOIE GRAS
Season the foie gras slices with salt and pepper. Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. In batches, sear the foie gras on both sides and drain on paper towels.
FOIE GRAS MOUSSE
Place the two cleaned Grade C foie gras in a reseable plastic bag. Using either a commercial steamer or a large pot of boiling water, cook the foie gras in the sealed bag for 7 minutes. Open the bag, drain off the fat, and reserve. Reseal the bag and set in the refrigerator to chill.
When chilled, remove the Grade C foie gras from the refrigerator and take it out of the bag. Clean off any congealed fat from around the liver and reserve. Allow the
liver to come to room temperature. Pass the cooked liver through a vegetable mill fitted with a fine disk or through a fine mesh strainer, pushing it through with a spatula to form a mousse. In a bowl, whip the mousse with a wire whisk until smooth. Beat in about half the reserved fat. The finished mousse should have the consistency of stiff icing.
SERVICE AND GARNISH
To prepare the sandwich, spread 2 tablespoons of the foie gras mousse on two brioche rounds. Spread 2 tablespoons of jam over the mousse on each of the rounds. Place a small handful of pea shoots over the jam-covered rounds. Top each with a slice of duck crackling, and a piece of seared foie gras. Stack one round on top of the other and place a plain brioche slice on top. Repeat to make six sandwiches. Garnish with mustard oil.
CHEF NOTES Mustard oil can be purchased in specialty food stores, or you can make it by toasting 1 tablespoon of mustard seeds in a saucepan until they pop. Add 1 1/2 cup of grapeseed oil to the pan and cook until the mixture reaches a boil. Pass the mustard oil through a coffee filter into a jar and store in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to 1 month.
WINE RECOMMENDATION Lenswood Chardonnay 1995 (Australia), or another white wine with honey and spice flavors
