I have already given up on my new years resolution of not eating rich food.

I managed to resist for almost a month but not the full month.

I just can’t do it, I love food too much: I love the smells, the textures, the taste, the fun and the sharing of it.

I love to try all the different ways cuisines deal with the basic four tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter and you can add in umami as well.

And I think this dish ticks all the boxes

 

Seared Foie Graswith Lemon Gallet and Massala Dressing

A lobe of fresh grade “A” Foie Gras

3 large waxy potatoes, washed, peeled and cut into 1”x 5” pieces

The juice of 3 lemons

2 red chillies, peeled and finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 small red onion, diced

5g of pomegranate seeds

10g of tarragon

5g of coriander

Tomato compote (500g of peeled plum tomatoes, cooked slowly to a pulp with 200g of butter and castor sugar to taste. Spiked at the end with ketchup.)

200g of garam flour

50ml of pomegranate molasses

10g of masala paste, not too thick

Vegetable oil

Salt

 

1 Slice the foie gras into nice thick pieces

2 Mix the garlic, onion, chilli, lemon juice and seeds in a pan with water

3 Cover and bring to the boil then reduce the heat to a simmer and add the potatoes. Cook until just done.

4 Drain the potatoes. Discard the liquor but keep every thing else.

5 Mix the garam flour with the chopped herbs, some seasoning and water to make a thick batter.

6 Add the potato mix to the thick batter.

7 In a heavy frying pan, heat 1cm of oil till it sizzles then place a cutter (7” wide) in the pan.

8 Inside the cutter place a couple of spoons of the batter then move the cutter and do the same again until you have 4 rounds.

9 Cook the rounds until they are golden brown then turn them over and brown the other side.

10 Lift the rounds out of the pan, drain them on kitchen roll and keep them warm.

11 Warm up the tomato compote.

12 Heat up a non-stick frying pan

13 Sear the sliced Foie Gras and finish in the oven

14 For the masala dressing, place the masala paste in a heavy bottomed pan along with 50ml of water.

15 Cook out for 5 minutes on a medium heat, then add molasses this mixture.

16 Mix well and you should be left with a dressing that has the consistency of double cream. If it does not adjust with hot water and season.

17 To plate place a gallet on a hot plate, pop on some compote then arrange the Foie Gras around this. Put some more of the compote around the gullet, then spoon round the dressing and serve.