| Method
For the foie gras
terrine: Drain the livers on paper towels and pat dry. Mix salt and pepper
and season livers thoroughly. Drizzle with Martell Cognac, cover and refrigerate
overnight. Return livers to room temperature 1 hour prior to cooking.
Preheat oven to 102°C.
Line a terrine mold with heatproof plastic wrap, leaving enough excess
wrap to fold over the top of the terrine. Fit one of the large lobes,
smooth side down, into the mold. Flatten it to eliminate air pockets.
Place the smaller lobes and any pieces of liver in the middle and top
with the remaining large lobe. Press down to fit into the mold. Cover
securely with the heatproof plastic wrap.
To create a water
bath (bain marie), place a folded kitchen towel in the bottom of a roasting
pan. Put the sealed terrine (right side up) on the towel and add hot water
to fill the pan halfway. Roast in the oven for an hour or until the internal
temperature measures 54°C. Then remove the terrine from the bain marie
and place immediately in iced water for 10 minutes.
If the terrine you
are using does not have a lid, create one by wrapping a piece of cardboard
fitted to the mold with plastic wrap. Gently push down the foie gras with
this lid to press out most of the fat. Weigh down the lid with cans or
weights and place in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Unmold the liver from
the terrine, wrap tightly in plastic wrap and aluminum foil and return
to the refrigerator in a clean terrine mold for an additional 2 days before
serving to allow the flavors to develop.
For the tropical fruit jam: Mix the sugar and dessert wine to form a simple
syrup. In a large, heavy pot bring the syrup and the Martel Cognac to
a boil and reduce by 25%. Add the dried fruit, reduce heat, and simmer
for about 45 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the vinegar and cool completely.
Add the chili pepper and season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape jam
into quenelles using two spoons.
For the ginger molasses laced cookies: Preheat an oven to 177°C. Line
2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a 1.5 liter heavy saucepan
and over moderate heat, bring brown sugar, butter, molasses and lemon
juice to a boil, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Remove pan from heat
and stir in flour, ginger, lemon and orange zest, and pinch of salt until
mixture is smooth. Cool dough to room temperature.
To form cookies, pinch
off level ½ teaspoon pieces of dough and roll into balls. Place
balls on the lined baking sheets about 10cm apart. Bake cookies in batches
in upper and lower thirds of oven, switching position of sheets halfway
through baking. Bake for 10 minutes, or until cookies are flat and golden.
Transfer parchment with cookies to cooling racks. Cool baking sheets and
line with fresh parchment between batches. For savory cookies, add a few
sea salt kernels prior to baking or when they are immediately out of the
oven and still warm.
Serving
Place a terrine of
foie gras on a plate and season with sea salt. Garnish with a quenelle
of jam, topped with a sprig of chervil. Serve along side one or two lace
cookies.
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