Foie Gras Corncakes

Yield About 1 dozen 2-inch cakes
RECIPE Ingredients
  • 5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup cornmeal, plus 2 tablespoons
  • ½ cup sugar
  • 3 tablespoons baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 4 cups heavy cream, plus 1 1/2 tablespoon, divided use
  • 1 pound Duck Leg Confit, meat only, shredded
  • 1 pound Foie Gras Cubes
  • Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • 2 tablespoons cumin
  • ¼ cup fines herbes
  • butter, as needed
Recipe notes
Try this recipe for foie gras corncake sandwiches from Chef David Burke, which he served with pressed squab in our Duck Press Video.
RECIPE Preparation
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a rimmed sheet pan and set aside.
  2. In a mixing bowl, stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add 3 cups + 1 ½ tablespoons heavy cream, blending slowly with a spatula until fully incorporated.
  3. Pour batter into prepared sheet pan. It should be about ½ inch thick. Bake until cooked through, about 12-14 minutes.
  4. Allow cornbread to cool completely then cut into 2 equal halves. Set aside.
  5. Meanwhile, prepare the foie gras mousse. Grind the duck leg meat in a food processor until smooth in texture. Add ½ of the foie gras cubes, blending until fully incorporated. Put mixture into a large bowl over ice, set aside.
  6. Heat a dry skillet over high flame until smoking hot. Pan-roast the remaining foie gras cubes, until all sides are caramelized but the center is still raw. Remove from heat, chill completely. Once chilled, chop roasted foie gras until small pieces then fold into to the reserved foie gras/meat mixture. Add 1 cup heavy cream, cumin, fines herb, salt & pepper to taste.
  7. Using an offset spatula spread the foie gras mixture evenly onto 1 of the two cornbread halves. Carefully top with the 2nd half of cornbread, creating a “sandwich” effect. Cover and chill.
  8. When ready to serve, preheat oven to 275 degrees F.
  9. Cut the “sandwich” into 2-inch cubes. Heat a knob of butter in a large skillet over medium-high flame. Brown all sides of the foie gras corncakes then set on a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes to warm through. Chef’s Tip: Chef Burke finished his corncakes with a rosemary skewer, grilled duck hearts and D’Artagnan French kisses.