How Sonoma chefs have presented foie gras

At Charlie Palmer's Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, chef de cuisine Dustin Valette serves a foie gras trio as an appetizer to demonstrate the three classic preparations: torchon, terrine and seared.

"We do two cold preparations and one hot," Valette said. "That lets us showcase the flavors and the textures."

For the torchon, the foie gras is cleaned, seasoned, rolled up in a towel (torchon means "dish towel" in French), then poached and cured.

For the terrine, the whole liver is placed in a mold called a terrine, and cooked at a low, slow heat.

Both the torchon and the terrine are sliced and served cold, showcasing the pure flavor of the foie.

"The terrine is the most amount of work," said Doug Keane, chef/owner of Cyrus in Healdsburg. "It's literally four days from start to finish, but that's my favorite way to eat it."

For the seared foie gras, the liver is cut into little scallops and seared in a hot pan.

"When you sear it, it's crusty on the outside and creamy on the inside," said Josh Silvers, chef/owner of Petite Syrah in Santa Rosa. "Most people like it that way."

Foie gras is best accompanied by a sweet garnish, such as fruit, and a splash of acid, such as vinegar.

"It goes good with sweet and acid because it's such a rich food," Silvers said. "The sweetness accents the richness and the acid balances it."

At Petite Syrah, Silvers is currently serving a torchon of foie gras with warm brioche, a fruit mostarda (an Italian condiment) and Maldon salt.

"You need a good, flaky salt to bring out the flavor," he said.

At the Dry Creek Kitchen, Valette also likes to add a textural contrast, such as a nut or a praline.

"We treat it like a fatty steak," he said. "You want to serve it with an acidic sauce with some texture to it."

Valette uses Hawaiian black sea salt or a fleur de sel to accent the foie's flavor. Right now, he is serving it with a seasonal blend of strawberries and rhubarb.

Foie gras also works well when paired sparingly with a fatty fish or lean steak entree.

At Stark's Steakhouse in Santa Rosa, chef/owner Mark Stark serves foie gras as an optional topper for the steak. He also serves it with a curried pineapple marmalade as an appetizer.

At Willi's Wine Bar, Stark's foie gras poppers have become the restaurant's signature small plate over the past 10 years.

"I'm not sure what we're going to do to fill their shoes," Stark said. "Nothing is as sexy and sensual as foie."