Salt and Pepper

• Keeping it simple is often underrated, yet it yields surprisingly rewarding results when dealing with quality produce that doesn’t need much to shine on its own. Foie gras is such a delicate product that some cooks swear by nothing but the most basic of seasonings: freshly milled black or white pepper and a pinch of sea salt such as “fleur de sel” from Guérande, which are salt marshes of Brittany that produce flaky salt crystals raked and harvested by hand, which are more flavorful than common salt.

Seasonings and Spices

• In addition to salt and pepper, a pinch of sugar can help to balance the flavors and bring out the complex tastes of foie gras. Beyond the bare essentials, a sprinkling of brown sugar, allspice or four-spice -- pepper, nutmeg, clove and ginger or cinnamon depending on recipes -- may be added. Dry seasonings can be used alone or with additional liquid ingredients, both to marinate before panfrying and for “torchon,” a dish towel wrap used for shaping and compressing the foie gras, or terrine preparations.

Wines and Spirits

• Typical liquors used for marinating foie gras are cognac or Armagnac brandies distilled in Western or Southwestern France. Fortified wines like Madeira, sherry or port -- choose a white variety if you prefer to avoid coloration -- and dessert wines such as Sauternes are also used. Some terrine recipes call for both sweet wine and clear brandy distilled from fermented fruit juice known as “eau de vie,” so there is no harm in mixing and matching to taste. Marinate the foie gras overnight under a tight plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours, or just a couple of hours for a lighter note.

Uses and Combinations

• Once the foie gras is marinated, there are plenty of ways to prepare this versatile ingredient, including options that make use of the marinade itself. The Foie Gras du Périgord association proposes a recipe of fresh pasta tossed in the Madeira marinade and rendered fat of the foie gras, enhanced with cream and topped with slivers of truffle and pan-seared foie gras. It also recommends a lesser-known cooking method for foie gras marinated overnight in Sauternes: steaming it over the marinade enhanced by a “bouquet garni” of herbs including thyme, laurel and leek tied in a bunch.