4th Course: "Elevages Perigord" Foie Gras

* Best of 2007 * Dish
Read about this dish and the other 25 Best Dishes of 2007 on my blog.

"Elevages Perigord" Foie Gras
Torchon with Venezuelan cocoa and quince and served with Venezuelan cocoa-swirled brioche toast.

Notes: A good cut of smooth foie gras au torcon and a round of toast - what more could a guy want? This puck of goose liver is one of the most beautiful specimens I have tasted. Not only is the presentation gorgeous, but the flavors were spot on. The foie is marbeled with veins of dark Venezuelan cocao and surrounded by quince gelee drizzled with some olive oil.

Thoughtfully, the chef also provides a nice round of toasted brioche, also swirled with strands of dark Venezuelan cocoa for spreading. The foie gras was exceptionally smooth and creamy, without being to dense and clay-like.

I hesitated when the sommelier presented a bottle of Heidi Shrock Beerenauslase to pair with this course. I tend to dislike sweet wines, but I know that they're usually the best to pair with foie gras. This pairing demonstrates why I found John Ragan's wine program to be so strong. I noticed that he doesn't just pair the wine with main element on the dish, but rather a side element, ingredient, or garnish that is picked up along with the main item. Here, the Beeranauslese really picked up the cocoa, which I had a hard time discerning on its own. Outstanding.

You can read more about this restaurant and my dinner on my blog.