Foie Gras au Torchon

Preparation

1. Allow the foie gras to come to room temperature, it will be easier to work with when you are cleaning it. Pull the lobes apart and using your fingers or a knife tip, follow the veins and sinews through the meat, gently pulling and lifting them out.
2. Mix the salt, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the spices then the Cognac all over the cleaned foie gras.
3. Lay out a 2-foot square of cheesecloth. Place the foie on the cheesecloth, forming it into a block shape. Tightly roll up the cheesecloth, shaping the foie gras into a fat sausage shape. Twist the ends to tighten the cheesecloth and tie with kitchen string.
4. Pour kosher salt into a deep ceramic dish to a depth of about 11/2 inches. Place the foie gras in center, then cover completely with more salt. Place a flat pan on top and weight it with heavy cans. Refrigerate for 2 days.
5. Lift from the salt and unwrap. Serve thick slices on hot toast with preserved quince or apple. Or use a swivel-type vegetable peeler to shave pieces of foie gras over a crisp lettuce salad. Rewrap in plastic to store for up to 2 days.

CHEF'S NOTE: The tender crumb and sweetness of brioche makes wonderful toasts for this silky foie gras. Brush both sides of sliced brioche with melted butter. Lay the slices out on a cookie sheet and set another cookie sheet directly on top. Bake in a preheated 400 degrees F oven until golden brown on the bottom, about 10 minutes. Turn the toasts over, cover, and bake until the other side is golden, a few minutes more.