Whole Foie Gras with Espelette pepper

Relais gourmet presents to you its new Whole Duck Foie Gras with Espelette Pepper !

Espelette pepper does not sting, it only subtly flavours this Foie Gras. Its fragrance is developed because it has been left to dry in the sun for a long time. It has been used for five centuries instead of black pepper in all Basque cuisine. The mixture is subtle and will delight your taste buds!

You will appreciate the superior quality of our Whole Foie Gras with Espelette pepper in:

• The 100% French origin of the ducks
• The exclusive feeding of the ducks with French yellow corn
• The unbeatable quality of our whole duck Foie Gras
• The absence of any industrial additives, colourants or preservatives.
• The subtle pairing with the aromas of the Espelette pepper.

We can guarantee that this product is preservative free and colouring free !

Ingredients : duck foie gras, salt, spices and Espelette pepper

Weight : 6.4 oz

Guaranteed without preservatives, additives or colorants.

Storage: 3 years minimum, at room temperature. Keep the product in a cool, dry place away from light (cupboard, pantry or larder). Store in the refrigerator after opening and consume preferably within 15 days.

The Scoville scale of itching:

The itching is considered for many subjective. A Mexican palate would probably define as non-spicy a flavor that a French diner would find spicy. But then, why are we so sure that the Espelette pepper is hardly spicy? It’s because its Scoville rating is 4,000.

Wilbur Scoville was an American chemist and pharmacologist who set out to create a method to accurately measure how hot a given pepper was. In essence, his method consisted of measuring in what proportion of sugar water a certain pepper had to be diluted until the tasters could not detect any spiciness. Although more precise chemical measurement methods are used today, the name and essence of this scale are still preserved.

On this scale we can see that the Espelette pepper shares a range with the jalapeño pepper or the padrón pepper, with its 4,000 Scoville units, being well below the 30,000 to 50,000 that cayenne pepper usually has, for example.

The top 5 spots on the scale could be referred to as a veritable heat arms race, with new pepper variants entering the rankings every few years. Far are the 580,000 heat units that the Habanero chili can reach, when we compare them with the million and a half of the Carolina Reaper, the two million of the dragon’s breath, and the three million that the Pepper X reaches. Although in practice it is a lot lower, the theoretical limit of the scale would be in the 15 million, which is the value of capsaicin in its pure state, the chemical component that causes itchiness in peppers.

Our Foie Gras tasting tips:

• How to get the best texture in Foie Gras?:

To obtain the best texture for your Foie Gras, place it in the refrigerator one hour before serving. This will give the Foie Gras the ideal consistency for tasting. Allow it to cool for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

• Which bread to use with Foie Gras?:

Foie Gras has subtle flavours that can be hidden by very toasted breads. Our recommendation is to use simple flavoured breads such as peasant bread. Slightly fruity breads such as ginger can add an extra touch of flavour without overpowering the Foie Gras.

• Which wine goes best with Foie Gras?:

The pairing of Foie Gras does not have just one correct answer. At Relais Gourmet, we recommend the following options:

• • Pairing Foie Gras with sweet wines:

Wines such as Muscatel or Malvasia, or the French Monbazillac, Jurançon, or late Alsace, are perfect accompaniments to Foie Gras. Their natural acidity helps to harmonise the combination and makes them easy to digest.

• • Pairing Foie Gras with dry white wines:

Instead of harmonising, the texture of wines such as the fruity Catalan Xarel-lo, or the French Condrieu or Crozes-Hermitage, generate an interesting and elegant contrast on the palate.

• • Pairing Foie Gras with Champagne:

Lightly vinous champagnes are a very successful combination with our Foie Gras. The bubbles lend lightness to the apéritif, while their smoothness helps to reinforce the gourmet subtlety of good Foie Gras. We especially recommend bottles made with Pinot Noir or bottles of cava, as they are less acidic than champagne made with Chardonnay.

• • Pairing Foie Gras with red wine:

In the south-east of France, it is not uncommon to combine Foie Gras with full-bodied red wines. Irouleguy, Cahors, Madiran or Bergerac are some good red wines that will reinforce its flavour with the subtlety of Foie Gras. In Spanish wines, a good red wine from Ribera del Duero is a safe bet. When pairing with red wine, it is especially recommended to use a very simple tasting bread.

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