Where to buy foie gras (goose)?

[vvvindaloo]

I am looking to buy some goose foie gras to prepare at home for a group of 6 people. I plan to prepare it in a classic pan-seared style with a sweet wine reduction (request of the birthday girl). I have never purchased foie gras before, and am wondering- aside from D'Artagnan- which purveyor(s) are worth looking into. I don't mind ordering in advance, but I must have it in my possession within the next week (by the 17th or 18th). Any suggestions? Thank you!

[Bbdcnyc]

I just came from Schaller & Weber (1654 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028) and they typically only have Goose Foie Gras (yes GOOSE) during the Christmas season, but I requested that they order it special for me and Ralph (head butcher) fulfilled my ThanksGiving wish. I'll let you all know how it was next moth.

[mkangrga]

This is not at all a practical solution to your question, but one of the strategic preemptive ways to avoid this dilemma in the future is to stock up on goose foie gras when traveling. When you/your friends fly via Chales De Gaulle in Paris, the duty free shop always has an astounding mound of Rougie foie gras selections in all sizes, from blocs, both pure and with additions, to entier versions, in 30g-310g sizes. While Rougie is far from the true gourmet potency of other Perigord varietals, it offers an amazing value for a very good foie gras, especially the Foie Gras d'Oie. I just bought the 310g pure goose bloc of goose foie gras for 42 EUR. Upon further online search, I wish I would have stocked up more.

I am extremely puzzled by the lack of goose foie gras availability in the U.S., both online and in stores. Amazon used to have some selection a few years ago, but has since dried up. I always expected NYC to have an abundance of this stuff, but my latest trips to Zabar's and Dean & Deluca were kind of disappointing. Fortunately, the restaurants apparently have a good supply of fresh foie gras, but it always appears to be duck. Anyone have any more insights on this?

[gavspen]

Just found this.....

http://www.blackstargourmet.com/Fresh...

It's kind of sketchy on details (no pics or prices) but they claim to have it. Worth contacting them I would say. Let us know.

[sgordon]

Ottomanelli and Sons on Bleecker St - If they don't have it in stock at the moment, they can certianly get it in for you. And the price will be much better than D&D or the other big markets.

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Ottomanelli and Sons
285 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

[vvvindaloo]

thanks, s!

[The Chowhound Team]

Folks, we split off a digression about cooking foie gras and menu items to accompany it to a new thread on our Home Cooking board. You can find that thread here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/759189

[wolmania]

I've ordered from:
http://www.gooseproducts.com/welcome....

[vvvindaloo]

They appear to sell a very intriguing alternative to goose foie gras: "fatty goose liver", which is produced without force feeding due to a genetic tendency in certain geese to store more fat in their liver. I wouldn't necessarily buy this for my current purposes, but I think it might be an interesting option for anyone who enjoys foie gras (especially goose foie gras) and either can't seem to find it or has a guilty conscience about eating it when made by traditional methods.
Thanks.

[sunshine842]

nearly *all* geese (and ducks) have a tendency to store fat in their livers --they're a migratory species, and so programmed to eat themselves silly in the fall.

[gutsofsteel]

"It is a satisfying, natural alternative to foie gras."

I highly doubt it would be a satisfying alternative to foie gras.

[vvvindaloo]

"satisfying" wasn't my word- I've never tried it! I said "intriguing" ;) In any case, for those seeking an alternative, I would argue that this is basically it, satisfying or not.

[sunshine842]

but it IS foie gras...the fattened liver of a goose or duck.

[gutsofsteel]

But HOW fattened....to be considered foie gras is not just the dictionary definition of the words.

[dumaine]

Foie gras, refers to fattened goose liver only, to the French.

Fattened duck liver is foie d'canard in France.......Always.

There is a HUGE difference is taste, and major in texture.

We misuse the terms in the U.S., in sad attempts to inflate the value of what is considered to be,in the classical culinary world,an inferior product.

In ANY first class restaurant in France, foie gras ALWAYS refers to goose liver.
They never say "goose liver', because they all already know it.

[sunshine842]

I live in France. I buy foie gras in France from French producers -- a lot of it, when I'm not making my own.

They do not EVER say foie d'canard when they mean foie gras de canard -- because not only is that not linguistically correct, but it only means "liver of a duck" -- it leaves out the part about being fatty completely. You can buy foies du canard...but they are cooked just like chicken livers.

"Foie gras" literally means "fat liver" - it does not, in and of itself, refer to what sort of bird it comes from.

If it is from a duck, it says "foie gras de canard". If it is from a goose, it is labeled "foie gras d'oie". Producers must, by law, specify which type of bird it comes from.

If it is on a restaurant menu, they are required to specify what type -- and there are plenty of 3-stars serving foie gras de canard.

I reckon these folks know -- and THEY specify the difference:

http://www.thefoiegras.co.uk/foiegras...

[oliver_selwyn]

No promises - but try sos chef in the east village off avenue b. They supply the top end restaurants here and I know they have fresh foie gras available. Maybe only duck though.

[purpsf]

You can get both goose and duck, in fresh, frozen or can form, on Amazon too :)

[gutsofsteel]

If you can find fresh goose foie gras on Amazon, please post a link.

[griller in the mist]

The best price that I have found is from freshdirect. You have to buy an entire lobe but for six it will be worth it. usually 39.99 pound.

enjoy

[ellenost]

FreshDirect sells duck foie gras (not goose foie gras).

[JungMann]

I believe I saw a sign advertising sale prices for fresh foie gras at Zabar's last week.

[gutsofsteel]

It is DUCK foie gras at Zabar's. Duck foie gras is easy to find.

[foodwhisperer]

I had chicken foie gras at Katz's , it was chopped.

[sunshine842]

Chicken liver pate is not the same thing as foie gras (chickens don't migrate, so they aren't 'programmed' to store fat in their livers like migratory birds)

Don't know if you were being facetious or not -- just clarifying for those who might not know that there's a (big) difference.

[vvvindaloo]

Thank you everyone, for your fast replies. Guts, I appreciate your research! I never imagined it might possibly be completely absent from NYC shops. For those who may be interested, the one local lead I found was Petrossian, who carries it (on the website) in the form of a large, truffle-filled loaf. Of course, they may not necessarily have it in the store.
Now I am wondering if the birthday girl is aware of the scarcity of goose... what is the probability that 3 and 4 star restaurants in NYC are serving duck and not goose, and that this is actually the kind that she is really familiar with?
I am going to check out the Hungarian shop, as well as look into online options... there has to be somewhere in the country that makes it.

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Petrossian
182 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

[sunshine842]

The difference is definitely there, but it's pretty subtle...and to be honest, in a sweet wine reduction, probably just this side of impossible to detect.

if it makes you feel better, I can walk into darned near any purveyor of food here in France (even a highway rest stop) and buy duck foie gras....but even here at the source, you have to go looking to find goose (even at Christmas, when the refrigerator cases are bursting with more brands and preparations of foie gras than you could imagine)

[gutsofsteel]

Don't buy the truffle-filled loaf from Petrossian. You want fresh foie so you can prepare it, and the only fresh foie you are going to find is going to be duck. Every restaurant in NYC that is serving foie that they prepare in the restaurant is serving duck foie.

You will be able to find an online source for prepared goose foie probably, in a can. But you'd be much better off getting fresh duck foie, which you can get easily in NYC.

Quattro Farms sells Hudson Valley duck foie in entire lobes, you could call their farm store and ask them to bring you a lobe to the Union Square Greenmarket on Saturday.

Preparing raw duck foie will be far superior than buying a prepared canned or jarred goose foie product. Your only hope is if the Hungarian store or Schaller & Weber sells lobes of goose foie, frozen. Call them both. Otherwise buy a lobe of duck foie gras.

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Petrossian
182 W 58th St, New York, NY 10019

[ellenost]

I do not recall any of the top restaurants in NYC offering goose foie gras.

[nmprisons]

I have not seen it on a menu anywhere in this country.

[foodwhisperer]

Years ago, goose foie gras was all you got in the good french restaurants i.e. Lutece etc
What happened? where did those geese fly to? lol

[sunshine842]

You don't see goose on menus in France that often, either -- it's easy to buy prepared, but it's not all that common on the menu.

[foodwhisperer]

I recently had mucho foie gras in France, but I didn't know if it were duck or goose. I didn't ask. I actually assumed it was goose. I guess i'm so used to duck these days, it doesn't matter as long as it is prepared right.

[AdamD]

You can order duck foie direct from Hudson Valley.
But the shipping is costly.

Goose foie is tough to find in the US. As far as I know, goose foie gras (foie gras d'oie) is only made in very small quantities in Israel, Hungary and parts of the Perigord and Alsace regions of France. aside from D'artagnan, dean and deluca might have it. 80% of the foie served in the U.S. comes from ducks.

[gutsofsteel]

Neither D'Artagnan nor Dean & Deluca carries goose foie gras. Only duck.

You know who might have it (but probably frozen)? Schaller & Weber or the Hungarian Market on 2nd Ave. Give those two a call.

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Schaller & Weber
1654 2nd Ave, New York, NY 10028

Dean & DeLuca
1 Rockefeller Plz, New York, NY 10020

[roze]

Eataly had some the other day when I was there.

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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[gutsofsteel]

Eataly carries duck foie gras, not goose.

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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[gutsofsteel]

The foie gras you can get here is going to be duck. That's what D'artagnan sells. I don't see any goose foie on their website for order...nor on the Dean & Deluca website...

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Dean & DeLuca
1 Rockefeller Plz, New York, NY 10020