Published on September 07, 2005

A dish of lovingly prepared foie gras, a glass of fine red wine – what could be more pleasurable?

It’s true that foie gras is on the road to political incorrectness, as people come to realise how the goose or duck is force fed, living in extremely uncomfortable conditions before it is bumped off for its fattened liver.

However, lovers of this delicacy are not deterred. They appreciate the luxurious taste, the fragrance and the fine texture.

Few people, however, ever consider preparing foie gras at home. Perhaps they are daunted by the price and by the fact that most foie gras available has been frozen, destroying the all-important texture of the liver. Should you choose not to use foie gras, you can substitute it with filet mignon or even sea bass in this recipe.

“Foie gras isn’t really that difficult to prepare,” shrugs Stephan Oppenhagen, executive chef at the Central Samui Beach Resort.

For a personal cooking lesson, he would much prefer to teach a much more complex dish, such as his crispy sea bass with Phuket lobster, crunchy potatoes and a red wine and truffle sauce.

Stephan’s forte is what he calls “modern French cuisine”, where traditional techniques are combined with ingredients with seemingly simple results.

At the resort in Samui, the cuisine, aiming to please the range of its guests, offers formal and informal dining, from nibblies to sandwiches to Thai, Japanese and the Brazilian barbecue churrascaria, but Stephan has also put some of his elegant creations on the menu.

These also span a range, from the complex to what he considers as the simple, such as his “pan-fried foie gras”.

Actually, his dish is not all that simple. Once you’re served with the foie gras on top of the moulded salad, don’t try to eat each element separately. Instead, cut through it vertically so that your fork brings you all the tastes and textures at the same time.

To strengthen the taste and force of the balsamico, a traditional addition to foie gras, Stephan reduces it, by simmering it down to half or third of its original volume.

To make the dish, success depends on several factors. Firstly, always use lemon juice, not lime juice, which will strengthen the acetic accompaniment for such a rich dish. Secondly, stick to using olive oil, preferably virgin olive oil. Thirdly, Stephan recommends using gas heat rather than electric.

“You simply have more control,” he says.

In a heavy skillet, he heats up the olive oil, and when it’s fragrant, he places a slice of the foie gras in the pan. The liver begins to crackle. He lifts one end to check the underside, and when one side is browned, he flips it over.

How does he know when it’s done? He smiles. “You can tell,” he says.

And the final factor is experience!

Laurie Rosenthal

The Nation

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