Conference turris::cooks

  Nit (which I'm sure you know): plain fresh goose liver isn't foie
  gras, it's just goose liver. If that's all you want (which I doubt),
  there are a couple of places which sell fresh poultry where you may be
  able to get it. If it's genuine foie gras you want (the liver has a
  unique consistency and flavor due to the special diet which the goose
  is fed), I'd like to know about it, too. It can't be legally imported,
  so any fresh foie gras would have to be produced locally, and I'm not
  aware of any such producer in the area (but would love to know if
  there is one).

  If you can substitute imported canned foie gras, you could try the
  Wine and Cheese Shop in Concord, MA. Not as good as fresh, but maybe
  acceptable for your purpose.

the treatment to which a goose is submitted in order to get the particular
texture and taste for the traditional foi gras is considered a form of
animal abuse here in the USA....interestingly enough, we do import the famous
pate', so go figure.

Anyway, the goose is restrained from moving around by being installed
in a large crate or other restraint system and is then force fed an extremely
rich diet in an effort to raise the fat content of the liver.  It is extremely
unlikely, therefore, that you will find anyone raising geese in the traditional
manner.  I suggest you try several varieties of the canned pate' foi gras
until you find one you like...or, there are many delicatessens that offer
nicely done pates - you might find what you are looking for there.

  Please, please, I hope we can avoid discussion about the moral
  implications of the production of foie gras, especially as there is
  probably not a single one of us who has actually seen a production
  facility, myself included. I recognize that there are people who feel
  strongly about this, but, in my opinion, there are other conferences
  where such discussion would be more appropriate.

re: .1

whoa!  My reply was NOT intended to get up on a soapbox, but merely to
offer a reason WHY it is going to be very difficult to find the 
"traditionally prepared" goose liver such as that which is used in preparing
pate foie gras..In today's socio-political climate, it is unlikely a 
poultry farmer is going to be willing to tangle with animal-rights 
supporters on this issue.

re: preparation information.

This is the way the goose is prepared and this method is documented, with
pictures, in many cooking encyclopia/cookbooks.  I don't eat any kind of
liver prepared in any way, so I feel it is inappropriate to pass judgement.

    Oh boy, I understand no soapbox was intended! of course, I never
    heard of the special procedure to manufacture patte... I have 
    always had goose liver patte in Spain, canned, and it could be found
    everywhere in Europe (Spain, France, Holland, Germany, Switzerland,
    Italy) I've bought it fresh in Amsterdam...delicious! and I have made
    my own, but mainly, from chicken livers which are not the real thing,
    it is very different from goose patte but it tastes great also.
    A word of caution... real goose liver patte is... a killer regarding
    colesterol content! (for that matter, all kinds of patte are extremelly
    high).
    I make my own, so I haven't looked for canned patte in my area. 

    
    
    I found one source of foie gras in the U.S. -- it's a New Jersey
    company called "D'Artagnan".  They offer domestic foie gras (fresh and
    prepared), as well as duck, venison, buffalo, pheasant, quail,
    free-range chicken, etc.   
    
    A catalog may be obtained by calling 800-DARTAGN. 
    
     

RE: .2

>the treatment to which a goose is submitted in order to get the particular
>texture and taste for the traditional foi gras is considered a form of
>animal abuse here in the USA.

Depends on where in the USA you live.  There is no federal ban on the
procedure.  Various states and communities may have their own say on the
subject, though.  Domestic foie gras *is* produced, but it is rare because
(1) the demand is fairly low, and (2) the process is expensive and
time-consuming.

--PSW

I remember reading an article a while ago saying that a goose has been bred in 
the US that has naturally gras foie's.  Sufficiently gras and of a flavor judged
to be a suitable humane substitute.  The article mentioned D'artagnan as a
source, I believe.

As to the more appropriate tangent for such a discussion:

	Shouldn't a naturally gras foie, not produced by the classic
	"Methode foie gras -oise"  (fwaa graa whaa??) be simply called
	"Big Liver"???

RE: .8

"Foie gras" merely means "fatty liver".  It doesn't say anything about how it
got that way.

--PSW

Oh, I know... and to me "champagne" means "par-TEE!"  But you know those fussy
French...