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Cooking: Foie Gras (Sonoma)Sonoma California is an exceptionally fertile region of the United States, renowned for its culinary treasures and great wines. Foie Gras is a culinary treat that most people associate with good living and sophisticated dining. So it is only natural that Sonoma Foie Gras would seek this area to produce the highest quality foie gras available in this country. Since 1986 they have been producing liver form the Muscovy duck, also regarded by chefs as the finest duck available. They are the only company to use Muscovy in producing foie gras and there are good reasons for it.
Most foie gras producers here and in Europe use a moulard duck for their production flocks. The perception, which is held by the farms, is that these ducks produce a superior product. This is really not true. In France where most foie gras is produced, the moulard are used for two reasons. It is less expensive to grow out the liver and, because of the tougher cell structure in these livers, the foie gras is more suited for commercial canned foie gras products. It is the Muscovy ducks, however, which produce a better flavor and a superior texture for foie gras.
Muscovy duck liver has a more delicate cell structure resulting in a foie gras that is significantly more buttery in texture and produces a flavor that is more intense. Furthermore, the Muscovy liver is less sinewy with fewer veins which provides for a much higher yield when broken down for terrines and more tenderness when used for sautéing or grilling. These are all reasons that the Sonoma Foie Gras is considered the premier fresh foie gras available in the United States.
There is also the issue of yield when cooking. The Moulard producers maintain that the difference in yield between the Moulard and Muscovy is very large. That is a bit of a misconception. Muscovy foie gras does render. But when prepared in the proper manner, the difference in yield is not overly significant. Recent tests have shown it to be less that 5%. The key is to use a very hot saute pan. This allows the chef to attain the desired texture with minimal melting. If the pan is not hot enough the melt will be significantly higher. Given the superior flavor and lack of veins in Muscovy livers Sonoma Foie Gras thinks the balance of quality tilts in their favor.
