Le Pique-Nique

Le Pique-Nique

Poached Duck Foie Gras au Torchon
Pistachio Crust, Pickled Bing Cherries, Lemon Curd
Lavender Fleur de Sel, Pink Peppercorns
Arugula & Mint Salad, French Baguette

“The great thing about foie gras is that it’s foie gras…

You don’t have to do anything to it. It’s a luxury on its own,
and your job is to try to make it show what it really is.”
— Thomas Keller

What is served cold and completely overindulgent? Poached Duck Foie Gras au Torchon.

A whole lobe of duck liver is wrapped in the same muslin torchon in which it had been poached.

Torchon means “dish towel” in French,
and is the perfect vehicle for transporting foie gras to le pique-nique. 

Simply remove the torchon and slice the foie gras into discs, then roll the edges in pistachio nuts.

Lavender Fleur de Sel

I mixed fleur de sel with dried lavender buds, then added a few fresh lavender flowers from my garden.

A few grains of lavender salt sit atop the slices of foie gras. Are we in Provence yet?

With expert instruction from Thomas Keller, the dish is minimally garnished.

Chopped pistachios cling to the outer layer of duck fat while tart pickled cherries and
sweet lemon curd add balance.

Pink peppercorns picked right off the tree harmonize with the lavender salt.

Arugula and mint are tossed with a little olive oil and add fresh bright earthy notes. It is extraordinary. Really.

The cold torchon is gently warmed by the sun. Now this is certainly picnic food!

Hold it in your mouth and let it melt on the tongue. Exquisitely creamy. Pure bliss.

It’s served with a French baguette and gluten-free breadsticks for my gluten-free friend.

Thomas Keller’s Pickled Cherry Recipe

24 bing cherries

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/4 c. water

1/4 c. sugar

Place cherries,vinegar, water, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Immediately remove from heat.

Cool the cherries then refrigerate them in the pickling liquid for a few hours, or up to several days.

Wines

Bieler Pere et Fils Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix en Provence and Sweet Botrytis Sémillon

A pink wine to quaff in the bright picnic sun, a sweet sémillon to mimic a Sauternes.

Disarmingly delectable, it’s time to indulge!

Creative Cooking Crew Picnic

The Creative Cooking Crew is a group of 24 innovative food bloggers hosted by
Laz of Lazaro Cooks! and Joan of FOODalogue.

Each month brings a new culinary challenge with a round-up of all the entries posted at the end of the month. Although there is no real judging and the challenges are all just for fun, we take pride in sharing our entries, pushing our culinary limits.

 “We’re going on a picnic and I’m bringing …”

FOIE GRAS

May’s challenge is a picnic potluck. Everyone brings a dish and our host Joan will set the table with all the offerings in the round-up on her blog here.

We’ll put our creative spin on a traditional picnic item, a family favorite, or we’ll create a gourmet picnic item just in time for readers to get ideas for upcoming Memorial Day picnics.

And be sure to check out the Creative Cooking Crew’s PINTEREST BOARD here for colorful inspiration!