Seared Foie Gras with Caramelized Apples and Brandy-Shallot Beurre Noisette

Following recipe makes 6 portions.

Ingredients:

1 Whole Foie Gras
Milk (Enough to cover the foie gras)

6 slices White Bread
1 Tbsp Duck Fat

1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
3 Granny Smith Apples
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
Zest of 1 Lemon
Salt
Pepper

1 Cup Brandy
1/2 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Apple Sauce
Salt
Pepper

1/2 Cup Shallot (minced)
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

Foie Gras Prep

1. Let foie warm to room temperature.
2. Seperate both lobes to expose the primary vein. Remove the primary vein.
3. Butterfly each lobe like an open book and use your knife to scrape out as many veins as you can.
4. Fold foie gras back into lobes. Using cheesecloth, wrap the two lobes together and twist the ends to force the foie into a cylindrical shape about 4 inches in diameter.
5. Unwrap foie and place in a container. Cover foie in milk to draw out blood and impurities. Soak overnight. Remove from milk the next day and dry with paper towel.
   

Croutons

1. Using a cutter or a glass, make 4-inch diameter rounds from the white bread ensuring that no crust is left on the rounds.
   
2. Melt the duck fat in a pan over medium heat and brown both sides of the bread to a crispy golden brown. Blot with paper towel and place them on a rack so that the bottoms don't get soggy. Keep in a warm oven.
   

Caramelized Apples

1. Peel the apples and slice into segments, removing the core and stems.
2. Melt butter in a pan and add the apples and sugar. Toss well. Add lemon juice and zest.
3. Cook apples until a dark brown syrup develops and the apples are softened, but not mushy.

Brandy Sauce

1. Pour brandy into a saucepan and flame. Once the flames die down add the cider vinegar and apple sauce. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Season with salt and fresh black pepper
   
2. Remove sauce from heat and strain through a chinois to ensure a smooth sauce. Mix in a small pat of butter; the residual heat should be enough to melt the butter and emulsify it into the sauce for a rich flavour and bright sheen.

Assembly

1. Place hot crouton on plate.
   
2. Preheat a dry pan to high heat.
   
3. Melt butter over medium heat in another pan. Add shallot and saute until shallots are softened and the butter inherits a dark brown colour and gives off a nutty aroma. Add apples and toss to combine and heat through.
4. Cut the cylinder of foie gras into 1 1/2-inch thick rounds. Score both sides and season liberally with salt and pepper.
   
5. Place rounds of foie into the hot, dry pan and sear for 30 seconds on both sides. Remove foie from pan and place each round on a crouton.
6. Remove apples from the beurre noisette and stack on top of foie gras.
7. Remove shallots and butter from heat and combine with Apple Brandy sauce. Swirl the pan to properly emulsify the beurre noisette into the sauce.
8. Using a saucing spoon, drop a spoonful of sauce over top each stack of foie gras and drag a ring of sauce around the plate. Garnish with fresh parsley.
   

3-Cheese Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce with Spinach and Prosciutto Gremolata

Ingredients

1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
6 Large Egg Yolks
1 Large Egg
1 1/2 Teaspoons Olive Oil
1 Tablespoon Milk

1/2 Cup Ricotta Cheese
1/4 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Freshly Grated)
1/4 Cup Pecorino Cheese (Grated)
1 Tbsp Parsley (Italian flat leaf, finely chopped)
1 Tbsp Sweet Basil (finely chopped)

4 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 Shallot (minced)
3 Cloves Garlic (minced)
4 Tbsp All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Whipping Cream
1 Cup Parmesan Cheese (Freshly grated)
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 Cups Spinach (Washed and Cleaned)

12 Slices Prosciutto Di Parma
1/4 Cup Lemon Zest (minced)
1/4 Cup Parsley (finely chopped)

For the Pasta Dough

1. Using the flour, create a well on the work surface. Fill the well with the egg yolks, egg, milk and oil.
   
2. Stir the liquid with your fingers, letting the liquid gradually incorporate the flour at it's own pace. When the dough gets too stiff to stir with fingers, mound small amounts of the unincorporated flour on top of the dough and cut it in with a pastry cutter.
3. Once the flour is incorporated, form the dough into a shaggy mass and knead until you can insert a finger into the dough and the dough snaps back into place. About 10 to 15 minutes.
4. Wrap the dough in plastic and rest for an hour.
5. Set the rollers of the pasta machine to the widest setting. Divide the dough into 6th's.
6. Run one piece of dough through the machine. Fold in half and quarter turn before running through the same setting again. Repeat this two more times, but upon the last time, fold the dough in half lengthwise.
7. Decrease the width setting by one notch and run the dough through without folding. Decrease setting again and repeat until the second to last setting is reached. Perform this on all 6 pieces of dough.

For the Filling

1. Combine all ingredients. Season to taste. Refrigerate to let flavors set.

For the Sauce

1. Melt butter in a medium saucepan.
2. Saute shallot and garlic until soft and fragrant.
3. Add flour and cook for about 3-5 minutes until raw flour flavor is removed.
4. Pour in cream and bring to a simmer. Sauce should thicken with heat.
5. Stir in cheese and season to taste. Set aside and keep warm

For Gremolata

1. Preheat oven to 425°F
2. Lay out 6 slices of prosciutto.
   
3. Evenly distribute lemon zest and parsley among the 6 slices.
4. Top each slice with another slice of prosciutto and press firmly to seal.
5. Bake until the prosciutto is crispy; about 8-10 minutes.

To Plate

1. In a pot of salted and boiling water, cook the ravioli for 4-5 minutes or until cooked through. Drain.
2. Stir spinach into sauce and let the gentle heat slowly wilt the leaves into the sauce.
3. Place 3 ravioli in a bowl. Spoon sauce on top of pasta, thread a string of spinach down the middle of the sauce.
4. Crumble the prosciutto gremolata on top. Serve immediately.
   

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Frites

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