INGREDIENTS

4 3-ounce slices Foie Gras, A grade

Salt and white pepper to taste

4 each brioche bread, slices

1 cup orange scented egg batter* (recipe follows)

4 handfuls baby arugula

2 T vanilla oil* (recipe follows)

1 cup sweet onion marmalade* (recipe follows)

1 cup mango coulis* (recipe follows)

20 each hazelnuts, candied* (recipe follows)

2 T port wine syrup* (recipe follows)

2 T chives, thinly shaved

8 mango slices, 2” long

METHOD
It is best to cook the Foie Gras just before serving so have all other components ready.  The brioche should be soaked just as you begin cooking the Foie Gras as it will fall apart if soaked too long.  Also, you want to cook the soaked brioche in the rendered fat from the Foie Gras.

Using a 3” diameter ring mold, cut circles from the brioche bread slices and wrap in plastic to keep them soft until needed.  Make the egg batter in a small bowl and hold in the refrigerator until needed.  

Heat a heavy bottomed sauté pan over high heat, without any oil until very hot.  Soak the brioche in the egg batter for 1-2 minutes.  Season the Foie Gras slices and place them into the pan one at a time pressing gently as the steam will push them up slightly.  

Reduce the heat to medium high and cook quickly until very golden brown.  Turn them over and cook the other side to the same color.  Turn the heat off so the fat does not burn and remove the Foie Gras to a plate to hold warm but not for more than a couple of minutes.  

Now add the soaked brioche to the pan with the Foie Gras fat, turn the heat to low and cook the brioche until golden brown, turn and cook the other side the same.  Turn off the heat and remove the brioche to the holding plate with the Foie Gras.  Toss the arugula with a little vanilla oil and season with salt and white pepper.

ASSEMBLY
Ladle an ounce of mango coulis into the center of the plate.  Place the orange scented brioche in the center.  Add a nice pile of the vanilla-tossed baby arugula on the brioche followed by the Foie Gras slice.  Top the Foie Gras with the sweet onion marmalade and lay the mango slices over the marmalade.  Garnish with the candied hazelnuts, chives, basil oil all on the inside of the plate. Drizzle the rim of the plate with the port wine syrup.  

INGREDIENTS [ORANGE SCENTED EGG BATTER]

[Serving 1 cup]

4 eggs

1/2 cup half and half

1/4 cup orange juice

2 T honey

2 T mint, chopped

METHOD
In a medium stainless steel bowl lightly beat the eggs just to loosen them.  Add the half and half, orange juice, honey and mint.  Stir just to combine.  Keep chilled.

INGREDIENTS [VANILLA BEAN OIL]

[Serving 1 quart]

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 quart canola oil

METHOD
In a small pot place the oil.  Scrape the inside of the vanilla bean into the pot along with the vanilla pod itself.  Place on low heat and warm slowly.  Check temperature of oil with your finger.  If the oil becomes too hot, it will diminish and change the flavor of the vanilla.  It should never become hotter than warm to your touch.  Once it is there, remove it from the stove and cool to room temperature.  Pour into a bottle adding the vanilla bean and cap tightly.

INGREDIENTS [SWEET ONION MARMALADE]

4-1/2 cups sweet onions, small diced, about 3 medium

3 cups champagne vinegar

3 cups sugar

1 tsp celery seed

METHOD
In a heavy bottomed 2-quart sauce pot, combine the sugar and vinegar over low heat and stir until sugar is dissolved.  Add the onions, bring to a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and cook over low heat until onions are light brown in color and mixture begins to thicken and lightly coat the onions.  Stir in the celery seed.  Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until needed.

INGREDIENTS [MANGO COULIS]

[Serving 2 cups]

2-1/4 cups mango, fruit only, ripe, about 2 each

1/2 cup champagne vinegar

1/2 cup honey

1-1/4 cups water

METHOD
Peel and cut away the fruit from the seed of the mango.  Rough chop and place into a sauce pot with the other ingredients.  Add water just to cover the fruit.  Cook over low heat stirring to dissolve the honey and until mango fruit is very soft.  Puree in a blender or food processor very fine and pass through a fine mesh strainer.  Thin down if too thick, using a little water.

INGREDIENTS [CANDIED HAZELNUTS]

[Serving 2 cups]

2 egg whites

2 cups hazelnuts, peeled and left whole

1 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon, ground

METHOD
Preheat oven to 225°.  Beat egg whites just to loosen.  Add the seasonings and stir well to combine.  Roll nuts in the mixture and spread onto an oiled sheet of parchment paper on a cookie sheet.  Bake 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  Once they are done, remove from the oven and stir again as they cool to completely coat the nuts in the mixture.  Cool before storing.

INGREDIENTS [PORT WINE SYRUP]

3-1/4 cups port wine, ruby

METHOD
Place wine in a sauce pot and reduce slowly over low heat, without stirring, until wine is thick like syrup. This will take from 15 to 30 minutes depending on your stove top.  To check, place a small plate in the freezer for 5 minutes and drizzle a bit of the syrup onto the plate.  If the wine runs like a syrup and not water, then it is done.