Foie Gras

How to Choose Your Foie Gras: A 13-Point Buying Guide

Block or Whole Foie Gras? Goose or Duck? Which wine to pair with it? Find all your answers in this comprehensive Foie Gras guide provided by Maison Édouard Artzner. According to the Rural Code, "Foie Gras is part of the protected cultural and gastronomic heritage of France." This exceptional delicacy demands impeccable quality! Follow these 13 points to know everything before buying and fully enjoy this culinary treasure.

1. Duck or Goose: Which Foie Gras to Choose?

The best way to decide is to taste both! However, here are some pointers to help you make the right choice and delight your taste buds.

Making up 90% of French production, duck Foie Gras is smaller, with character and a strong, pronounced flavor. Rarer, Goose Foie Gras offers a creamy texture and subtle, gourmet aromas. Visually, it is distinguished by a paler, pinkish color, while duck presents a more intense hue.

🥄 Read our full article to better understand the difference between these two exceptional products!

2. Alsace or Southwest: Which is the Best Foie Gras?

Alsace and the Southwest are the two historical regions for this jewel of French gastronomy. They share common farming and feeding methods, but each brings its own uniqueness.

Alsace Foie Gras

The long Alsatian tradition dates back to the 18th century. Strasbourg was then considered the capital of Foie Gras. Alsatian production, though more discreet than that of the Southwest, stands out for the excellence of its culinary art. Founded in 1803, Édouard Artzner is still the oldest Foie Gras house in France! Since then, it has preserved its iconic recipe with 11 secret spices, perpetuating the refined seasoning of its high-end products.

🥄How to enjoy it? 

• Cook it in a terrine to bring out its delicate spice notes.
• It is the base ingredient of the famous Strasbourg pâté.

Southwest Foie Gras

The Southwest is the heart of French production. The result of the marriage between duck and corn, two key elements of local agriculture and gastronomy, it is simply prepared with salt and pepper. Its bold character and firm texture delight lovers of authentic flavors.

🥄How to enjoy it?

• Pan-seared, grilled, or roasted, it reveals its strong flavor.
• On a bed of salad, it pairs well with other regional specialties (smoked duck breast and gizzards).

3. What Criteria to Check When Choosing a Foie Gras?

What are the basic principles for exceptional products?

• Rigorous selection of lobes: Édouard Artzner's sorting chefs inspect each piece to ensure it meets the standards of excellence. A good preparation starts with a fresh, well-formed lobe free of imperfections!
• Respect for animal welfare: This has a direct impact on the finished product. Farmers must follow strict standards, such as those of the Euro Foie Gras Charter, ensuring GMO-free feed, permanent access to drinking water, and enough space for movement. Good animal treatment ensures better raw materials.

What are the classification criteria to know?

There are three categories.

• Extra: the best quality, without defects.
• First choice: good constitution, with some minor imperfections.
• Common: lower characteristics, often used for industrial production.

Why is choosing an artisanal product a guarantee of delight?

It represents an emblem of French gastronomy. Artisanal producers maintain ancestral methods, with know-how passed down from generation to generation and traditional recipes... Everything to ensure a successful tasting for consumers!

4. What are the Differences Between Whole Foie Gras, Foie Gras, or Foie Gras Block?

According to Decree No. 93-999 of August 9, 1993, there are three regulated designations. These three categories each meet specific criteria. Here is a breakdown and usage recommendations to help you choose according to the occasion.

Whole Foie Gras

• Definition: the preparation consists of a whole lobe or several livers with seasoning.
• Appearance: presents a uniform color when sliced.
• Use: The most minimalist accompaniment reveals the delicate flavor of this noble dish. Ideal for Christmas or a wedding anniversary. It pairs perfectly with good fresh or lightly toasted bread.

Foie Gras (without any other qualifier)

• Definition: the preparation consists of several pieces of Foie Gras combined and seasoned.
• Appearance: marbled and aesthetic when sliced.
• Use: versatile in the kitchen, it is perfect sliced, with fresh pasta, or in verrines with a warm velouté.

Foie Gras Block

• Definition: these preparations consist of reconstituted Foie Gras with seasoning.
• Composition: may include pieces of lobes.
• Appearance: homogeneous, with visible pieces when included.
• Use: ideal for appetizers like Périgord salad, for toasts at an aperitif or in sauce with a hot dish. The semi-cooked version does not melt during cooking and is suitable for preparing a savory brioche, for example.

🥄 Find our tips for choosing your Foie Gras block.

5. Raw, Fresh, Semi-Cooked, or Cooked: Finding What Suits Your Preferences!

Raw Foie Gras

This is the raw, natural, uncooked product. It is usually vacuum-packed, either fresh or frozen. Firm and supple to the touch, it ranges in color from beige to yellow.

⇒ When to choose it? Perfect for cooking, pan-searing, or terrines.

⇒ Storage: 7 days in the refrigerator.

Fresh Foie Gras

After gentle cooking, it is presented in an earthenware dish, cloth, or loaf.

⇒ When to choose it? Served as is, it is ideal for delighting gourmets with festive starters.

⇒ Storage: up to 5 days between 0° and 4 °C.

Semi-Cooked Foie Gras

Cooked to the core at 85 °C for pasteurization, it is available in a glass jar or tray. Firmer than fresh, it remains very creamy.

⇒ When to choose it? For a simple tasting with a nice salad and fresh country bread, for example.

⇒ Storage: between 0° and 4 °C. A few weeks in vacuum-sealed packaging and up to a year in a metal tin or other packaging.

Cooked Foie Gras (in a tin)

Cooked, canned, or preserved: these three terms refer to the sterilized product, between 90° and 110 °C. It can be stored for several years at room temperature. Over time, it develops and gains creaminess.

⇒ When to choose it? Any occasion and use is suitable! Celebrating something unexpected? Buy a fresh, crispy baguette, open a tin, and enjoy!

⇒ Storage: Several years in a cool, dry place.

6. Which Packaging is Best for Buying Foie Gras?

Container

Description

Shelf Life

Flavors

Use

Cloth

Made from a whole Foie Gras, wrapped in fabric

7 days at 4 °C

Creamy texture, elegant presentation

Thick slices, appetizer, starter

Jar

Ready to eat, convenient for quick preparations

Several months at 4 °C

Intense flavors thanks to cooking in the jar

Cheese and charcuterie boards, sandwiches, salads

Loaf

Rectangular shape, allows for a neat and regular cut

Variable (depending on pasteurization)

Sophisticated presentation, precise slicing

Haute cuisine dish

Terrine

Pressed and cooked in an earthenware mold.

Several weeks at 4 °C

Rich flavor

Starter with toasts or candied fruits

Pre-sliced

Pre-cut portion, convenient for immediate use

A few weeks at 4 °C

Uniform structure, stable flavor

Salads, sandwiches, canapés

7. What is the Price of Foie Gras?

Prices vary depending on all the preceding criteria. To give you an idea:

• Blocks are more affordable than whole livers;
• Due to its refinement, goose is generally more expensive than duck;
• The artisanal production process justifies a higher cost.

8. How to Choose the Right Product for Your Meal or Recipe?

To find the presentation that suits your culinary needs, here are some tips to help you choose.

• For slicing: ideal in cloth or loaf form, use a lyre for a precise cut of whole, fresh, or semi-cooked Foie Gras.
• For preparing toasts: blocks, which are easy to spread, are the most appropriate.
• For cooking: a raw lobe will be perfect for pan-searing or making a pâté.
• For a creamy sauce: prefer fresh or semi-cooked Foie Gras.
• Raw and in a whole lobe, it will be perfect for searing and serving on a Tournedos Rossini.

9. Which Foie Gras Can Be Consumed by a Pregnant Woman?

To avoid exposure to salmonella or diseases like listeriosis or toxoplasmosis, pregnant women can consume semi-cooked or canned Foie Gras. Avoid raw, fresh, and cooked below 75 °C.

10. Classic or Original Recipe: How to Decide?

There are as many recipes as there are occasions to enjoy it!

For Christmas, Mother's Day, or a wedding anniversary, choose a classic recipe with an excellent Whole Goose Foie Gras, semi-cooked, fresh, or truffled, for example.

For New Year's or a chic and original evening, try different starters that will leave a lasting impression. Maison Édouard Artzner offers specialties with apricot liqueur or Batak pepper. A must-try!

11. Buying Online or in Store: What are the Advantages?

Going to a store allows you to see and sometimes taste before making your purchase. This is reassuring for some consumers. However, you may not have a shop nearby, and it is rare to be able to compare the qualities of brands and their production.

Buying Foie Gras online offers the possibility to choose from a wide range, access brands that meet strict quality criteria, and benefit from secure delivery. On the Édouard Artzner website, you have detailed information about the origin and processing. It's easier to make an informed choice!

12. What to Serve with Foie Gras for a Successful Tasting?

Food and Wine Pairing: Édouard Artzner's Recommendations

Type of Wine

Recommended Appellations

Type of Foie Gras

Characteristics of the Pairing

Sweet or Dessert White Wine

Sauternes, Loupiac, Jurançon, Monbazillac, Cadillac, Sainte-Croix-du-Mont

Whole, semi-cooked, or in terrines

Classic with creaminess and a sweet note to complement

Dry White Wine

Dry Muscat, Grenache Gris, Vouvray, or Saumur

Block on toast or semi-cooked

Delicate, refreshing acidity that balances the creaminess of the product

Red Wine

Saint-Émilion, Margaux, Pauillac, Vosne-Romanée, Volnay, Pomerol, Châteauneuf-du-Pape

Whole lobe, pan-seared, or fresh in terrines

Discreetly spicy to reveal the subtle aromas of the raw product

Champagne

Vintage champagne, rosé champagne

Truffled Foie Gras, high-end Goose Foie Gras

Effervescence and finesse add sophistication

🥄 Try a Muscat de Rivesaltes; its sweet note is reminiscent of dessert wines, but with less thickness for better lightness in the mouth. A late-harvest Gewurztraminer brings a floral and fragrant touch.

Bread, Fruits, Ch utneys, Vegetables: Curated Ideas for a Beautiful Plate!

Fresh Fruits

Pears, figs, grapes, or mangoes

Pan-Seared or Roasted Fruits

Peach, apricot

Dried Fruits

Figs, apricots, pistachios

Vegetables

Pumpkin, squash, and roasted winter vegetables

Grilled summer vegetables on the plancha

Lamb's lettuce salad

Mashed potatoes and celeriac

Lentils or mushroom velouté

Jellies and Chutneys

Gewurztraminer jelly, onion confit, fig or mango chutney

Bread

Fresh bread rather than industrial: baguette, country, walnut, rye, etc.

Grilled brioche or gingerbread

13. Our Practical Guide for a Successful Serving

Type of Foie Gras

Before Serving

Tasting

Fresh in a Jar

Take out of the cold 15 minutes before serving.

Cut into portions rather than slices.

Consume as is as a starter, on toast.

Do not spread it, but simply place it.

Semi-Cooked in Loaf

Leave at room temperature for 10 minutes before consuming.

Serve at the beginning of the meal when the palate is neutral and fresh.

Cooked

Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before consumption.

Unmold 15 minutes before serving without returning to the cold.

In a loaf, finely sliced.

In a round tin, cut into quarters.

Block

Refrigerate the tin for at least 12 hours before tasting. Serve chilled.

Spread or shaved on a salad or velouté.

🥄 Tips for Perfect Serving: after taking out of the fridge, quickly dip the tin or jar in hot water for easy unmolding.

Bonus: Our Extra Ideas for a Refined Presentation!

What is the Ideal Knife for Slicing Without Crushing?

The lyre is perfect for even slicing. If you don't have one, choose a wide, non-serrated blade knife. Dip the blade in hot water before each cut and wipe it each time. This ensures a clean presentation.

Slicing Cold or Not?

Yes. It is best to slice it straight from the fridge. This way, it holds its shape well and is less likely to be crushed.

How to Elevate Toasts for an Extraordinary Aperitif?

Personalize your platter by adding volume and color with a physalis, a slice of carambola, crushed pistachios, or a piece of fresh fig. Get creative according to the season!

With this Foie Gras guide by Édouard Artzner, you now have everything you need to make the best choice and fully enjoy this jewel of French gastronomy! We wish you an excellent tasting!

▶ Discover Édouard Artzner's recipe ideas.