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The torchon is a cooked preparation of foie gras, similar to a terrine in its purity of ingredients. Both consist of nothing but foie gras, a bit of alcohol and light seasoning; and both are named for the vessel in which they are cooked. Traditionally, a dish towel (or torchon in French) was used to tightly bundle the raw foie gras into a cylindrical shape before it went into a poaching liquid.
Today, dish towels are no long used for the poaching process. Our recipe is simple: we use a dash of Armagnac and a blend of salt and sugar to accent the naturally rich foie gras flavor. Each lobe of foie gras is deveined by hand to ensure a smooth texture in the torchon, then seasoned and rolled into a cylinder form. It is wrapped in plastic and vacuum sealed before going into the sous vide, a gentle, low-temperature water bath that cooks it slowly and evenly.
Our torchon is made from duck foie gras produced at a Canadian farm, where the ducks are fed a pure corn diet. This gives the foie gras a subtly sweet flavor and delicate texture. The farm treats the ducks with care, and never administers antibiotics or hormones.
D’Artagnan duck foie gras torchon makes a lovely gift for a food lover, not only for the purity of its flavor, but for its presentation. Each 5 ounce torchon is presented in a muslin wrapper decorated with red bows, in honor of the traditional cloth method of preparation.
The unadulterated foie gras flavor of our torchon can be enjoyed simply: sliced into medallions and served on baguette, toasted brioche or crostini with fruit compote, fig syrup or balsamic reduction and a sprinkling of coarse fleur de sel. We recommend pairing with Sauternes or a late harvest wine like Jurancon.
Ingredients: duck foie gras, salt, sugar, spices, Armagnac
