Foie Gras and Holidays in Paris

Foie Gras Season

Paris at the holidays is not the best place to be for vegetarians. Of the many non-plant-based delicacies you’ll eat during the December festivities, foie gras may be the most ubiquitous. And, like so many other items found on the French menu, it is not a cut-and-dry edible. Oh no! There is an art to foie gras as well as to its proverbial entourage.

Foie Gras as Status Symbol

Say you’re invited to a holiday party, and you are asked to bring an amuse-bouche (appetizer). And say you find selecting the appropriate cheese to be far too intimidating. You might thing: I’ll just pick up some pâté and a baguette. How hard can that be? Well, I hate to say it but, you’re screwed right off the bat.

Foie gras is not just one thing. If you head out to your neighborhood Franprix (mid-priced grocery store chain), looking for a slab of that processed, beige mush you vaguely remember from 1970’s cookbook pictures, you might as well stay home. Instead, buckle up for a qualitative study of tastes and preferences before you even look for your wallet.

First, do you want duck liver or goose liver, or a mix? We’ll skip over any attempt to acquire an entier (whole liver lobe) as being far too ambitious for an expat. But do you want it fully cooked or mi-cuit (semi-cooked) or frais (fresh)? Do you want it smooth or with chunks? Perhaps you want to downgrade slightly to a parfait or a mousse?

Choose well, and you will be a regular holiday dinner guest for life. I usually head to the specialty foie gras store in my neighborhood, Valette Foie Gras (yes, there is a store dedicated to foie gras), describe the audience to whom the delicacy will be served and accept whatever they recommend. Then I work my Gallic-esque shrug when the crowd applauds my offering.

Beware the Baguette Pit-Fall

Once you’ve leapt over the preliminary foie gras hurdle, you still have more obstacles to overcome.

No matter what happens, do not serve up your chosen foie gras with a delicious, freshly-baked baguette. It is all wrong! A baguette’s center is far too unstructured to hold the power of your fowl-liver spread. Only if you toast it a bit can you save yourself from a major faux pas (mistake). A better option, however, is a country bread. And make sure your slices are not too big. Remember, amuse-bouche literally means “mouth joy.” And there is no joy to be found in daintily picking up an appetizer on the holiday table, only to discover that it doesn’t fit gracefully into one’s mouth.

Bread and Spread Are Not Enough

Oh ma petite (my little dear), your ordeal is not over yet. Now, you must decide on the accompanying garnishes.

Your safest bet is to invest in figue confit (candied fig). Pay attention here, however. Confit is not the same as confiture (jam)! It may look the same on the shelf, and is often stocked in the same area within the grocery store, but pas de tout (not at all) is it the same thing! You can go with fresh figs, as well, if you’re lucky enough to find them flown in special for the holidays.

Additionally, dried apricots, dates and hazelnuts are good options. Or, if you want to go with a savory choice, confit d’oignons (candied onions). And voilà! You have adequately participated in the creation of the typical holiday meal. Cheeses, smoked salmon, oysters, mussels, scallops and roast goose or turkey also will be on hand, never fear. And bread — baguettes, traditions, parisiennes and other loafs. Plus lots of wine. As well as chocolates and bûche de Noël (Christmas log) for dessert.

One last tip for the overwhelmed expat: add a bottle of champagne.

And bonnes fêtes (Happy Holidays) to you!