Saturday, March 3, 2007

Et Voilà! Foie Gras

I used to hate liver; my mom once tried to sneak it into a savory Korean-style pancake, which she served to us as a snack when I was a kid. As soon as the iron-y and chewy (read: overcooked) organ hit my tongue, I knew. This is liver, I said to my mom as I hastily spit the stuff out. She said, No, it's not. But I knew.

So, I stayed away from offal of all kinds for years. It wasn't until a couple of decades later that my appreciation for the stuff began to grow. It finally took hold during my short stint at a 3-star restaurant when seared foie gras and foie gras torchon became part of my cooking repetoire (loved the seared stuff, though I can't say that I was a fan of the torchon).

That said, CAV wine bar's foie gras torchon is exceptional. Creamy, buttery, with a lovely rosey hue, the fatty liver is perfectly complemented with a dice of honey-infused quince. I went again last night with a couple friends to get some more of the mouth-watering dish, and it was just as amazing as I'd remembered. We also opted for the cheese sampler that came out fully loaded with all manner of nuts, fruit and honey. And of course, a spicy malbec and velvety tempranillo were the perfect accompaniments to my meal.

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