Fresh Duck Liver Sautéed with Shiitake Mushrooms, with a Julienne of Golden Apples!#

(Foie Frais de Canard Poele au Shitake, Julienne de Golden Citronnee)

At the extraordinary Chez Ruffet in Jurançon, chef and co-owner Stephane Carrade (his partner is the restaurant’s masterful maitre d’hotel, Marc Cazeils) prepared this dish for us with green walnuts. He suggested cashews as a reasonable alternative.

Yield: serves 4

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Ingredients

• 1 (1 1/2-lb.) lobe fresh duck foie gras, set out to soften at room temperature for 1 hour
• 2 medium golden delicious apples
• Zest and juice of 1 lime
• 1 1⁄2 Tbsp. butter
• 1⁄4 cup cashews, halved
• Salt, preferably fleur de sel
• 3⁄4 cup port
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
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• 16 large leaves fresh basil
• 1 whole star anise
• 12 large shiitake mushroom caps, cleaned and blanched
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. thyme leaves, plus 6
• whole sprigs thyme
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 tbsp. freshly cracked black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 11/2 cups diced onion
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• 1/2 cup diced fennel

Instructions

1. Separate the foie gras into 2 lobes, using a paring knife to sever any connecting veins. With the tip of the knife and your thumb or using your fingers, grab the thick branched main vein that runs through the center of each lobe and gently pull it out. Slice foie gras into 1"-thick pieces, transfer to a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate.
2. Peel and core apples, then cut into 1⁄4" x 3" sticks. Put apples into a small bowl, gently toss with lime juice, and set aside. Melt 1⁄2 tbsp. of the butter in a small skillet over medium heat. Add cashews and cook, stirring often, until pale golden brown, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl, season to taste with salt, and set aside.
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4. Put port, sugar, basil, and star anise into a small heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Continue to boil until sauce has reduced by three-quarters and is syrupy, 8–10 minutes. Strain sauce, discarding solids, and set aside.
5. Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and sauté, stirring often, until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Add soy sauce and cook until mushrooms have absorbed all the liquid in the skillet, about 1 minute more. Transfer to a small plate, season to taste with pepper, and set aside.
6. Heat a clean large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sear foie gras slices until nicely browned on both sides and warm in the center, about 45 seconds per side.
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8. To serve, divide foie gras between 4 large warm plates, then season with lime zest and with salt and pepper to taste. Make 4 stacks of mushrooms with 3 mushrooms per stack, then put each stack on a plate next to the foie gras. Arrange one-quarter of the apple sticks on each plate in a 2-tiered rectangle next to the foie gras and opposite the mushrooms. Spoon some of the sauce onto each plate and scatter cashews over the foie gras and mushrooms.

7. Trim the excess fat from the duck legs. Season them with 1 tbsp. thyme, orange zest, and the cracked black pepper. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

8. Take the duck out of the refrigerator 45 minutes before cooking. After 15 minutes, season the legs on all sides with 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. salt. Heat a large saute pan over high heat for 2 minutes. Swirl in the olive oil and wait 1 minute. Place the duck legs in the pan, skin side down, and cook for 8–10 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp. (If your pan is too small to fi t all the legs, brown them in batches so that you don’t crowd them.) Turn the duck legs over, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for 2 minutes on the other side. Move the duck, skin side up, to a braising pan. (The duck legs should just fit in the pan.) Preheat the oven to 325°.

9. Discard half the fat and return the pan to the stove over medium heat. Add the onion, fennel, carrot, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, and a pinch of pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon to scrape up all the crusty bits. When the vegetables are nicely browned and caramelized, add the balsamic vinegar and banyuls. Turn the heat up to high, bring the liquid to a boil, and cook for 6–8 minutes, until it has reduced by half. Add 3 cups stock and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes.

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10. Pour the broth and vegetables over the duck, then scrape the vegetables that have fallen on top of the duck back into the broth. The liquid should not quite cover the duck. Cover the pan very tightly with plastic wrap (yes, it can go in the oven) and then aluminum foil. Braise in the oven for about 21/2 hours, until the duck is very tender. To check for doneness, carefully remove the plastic and foil and pierce a piece of the duck with a paring knife. If the meat is done, it will yield easily and be tender but not quite falling off the bone.

11. Turn the oven up to 400°. Carefully transfer the duck to a baking sheet and return it to the oven to brown for 10–15 minutes. Strain the broth into a saucepan, pressing down on the vegetables with a ladle to extract all the juices. Skim the top layer of fat from the sauce. Reduce the broth over medium-high heat, about 5 minutes, to thicken it slightly. Taste the juices for seasoning. Transfer duck legs to 6 wide bowls. Spoon the juices over the duck and scatter the parsley leaves over the top.