Prepare your own foie gras:

For most people foie gras is only available in tins, jars or wrapped in foil. But if you are lucky enough to live in a foie gras producing region such as South West France, it is easy and economical to prepare your own foie gras. (You can of course go all the way and feed up your duck or goose but that goes beyond the scope of this article.)

When and where:
Since foie gras is a natural product it is seasonal and usually only available from about mid-November to mid-March. Prices drop considerably after Christmas and the New Year.

The best place to buy foie gras is your the local produce market, where there is often a special section for foie gras during the season. You can buy the whole animal (duck or goose?) or just the liver. For the beginner it is best to buy the isolated liver. Chose a medium-sized liver which is firm,and heavy.

Preparation:
Prepare the liver by separating the lobes and dividing them into portions suitable for the numbers you expect to be serving. Clean the livers by gently removing and visible blood vessels and connective tissue. Salt the lobes with large grains of sea-salt (some people also add pepper) and leave for about 30 minutes. Wipe dry with a paper towel and place into preserving jars and close their lids.

Place the jars in a pressure cooker with about 1 cm of water in the bottom. Close the cooker and heat until the safety valve starts to turn. Turn off the heat and let the whole thing cool down. When the jars are completely cooled place then in the bottom of a refrigerator.
This preparation is a semi-conserve which will keep for 1 or 2 weeks at room temperature and about 2 months in the fridge. It takes about a week before the full flavour develops.