Best foie gras torchon in Senoia, GA

Served at Revolution, on the charcuterie menu.

Foie Gras Torchon

$12.00

Where this dish comes from

Torchon means dishtowel. The technique: cure raw duck or goose foie gras with salt, sugar, white pepper, and a touch of Sauternes or Armagnac, then roll it tight in cheesecloth and poach it gently in stock or water below 70C. The lobe firms into a perfect cylinder, the fat redistributes, and the result is a clean, cold, sliceable preparation that needs nothing but salt, bread, and acid. This is the classical brasserie service of foie gras — older than the seared version, and arguably more honest about the ingredient. The lobe is doing the work. The cook is just shaping it. Done right, the texture is somewhere between butter and silk, and it should taste of duck, not of seasoning. The deveining matters as much as the cure. Pull the central vein and the smaller capillaries with the back of a spoon while the lobe is at 18C — cold enough to hold shape, warm enough to release the veins without tearing.

Make foie gras torchon at home

We would rather you came in — but if you want to cook it, here is how it is actually made.

Foie Gras Torchon — Home Recipe

1 lobe Grade A duck foie gras, about 500g
12 g kosher salt
8 g sugar
2 g white pepper
2 g pink curing salt (optional, for color)
30 ml Sauternes or Armagnac
Cheesecloth
Butcher twine
Fig jam or fig confit
6 slices brioche, for toasting
Fleur de sel and cracked white pepper to finish

Bring foie gras to 18C — about an hour out of the fridge. Separate the two lobes and gently devein with the back of a spoon, pulling the central vein and the smaller capillaries out as cleanly as possible. Pat dry.
Whisk salt, sugar, white pepper, curing salt together. Sprinkle over the foie, press in, drizzle with Sauternes. Press the deveined lobes back together into a rough log shape on a sheet of cheesecloth. Roll tightly, twisting both ends, and tie with twine every 3 cm to form a firm cylinder. Refrigerate 24 hours.
Bring a pot of water to 70C exactly (use a thermometer). Lower the torchon in, hold at 70C for 90 seconds, then transfer immediately to an ice bath. Once cold, hang in the walk-in for 24-48 hours so the fat redistributes.
To serve: unroll, slice 1cm rounds with a hot wet knife, serve with grilled brioche, fig jam, fleur de sel, and cracked pepper. Tip: a really fresh foie gras lobe in good shape is everything. Frozen lobes lose 20 percent of the flavor.

Cheffy’s note

Cure for exactly 24 hours, no more. Over-cured foie gras tastes like ham. The salt should season, not penetrate to the core. Devein at 18C, not cold.