Ingredients Terminology '1
- Foie Gras
Pronounce
it: fwah-grah
One of the world's great luxury foods, foie gras (literally, 'fattened liver') is the liver of either duck or goose. Goose, which is considered to be more flavourful and to have the finer texture, is the more expensive. The method used in the production for foie gras from either bird is highly controversial, and involves force feeding them in order that their livers fatten up to the required weight (in the EU, this is 300g - a normal, unfattened liver weighs around 50g).
Banned in the UK, foie gras production is most associated with Gascony, in south west France, but Hungary is also a big producer. Despite the controversy surrounding foie gras, its creamy, silky texture and unique flavour, quite unlike any other liver, means that it remains a sought-after ingredient. It can be bought whole and raw (known as lobes), semi-cooked (micuit) or cooked in paté, block or mousse.
Choose the best
Look for a delicate rosy colour, with slight touches of beige. Connoisseurs reckon that foie gras from Gascony is the best. Whole (entier) foie gras is the most expensive of all the preparations.
One of the world's great luxury foods, foie gras (literally, 'fattened liver') is the liver of either duck or goose. Goose, which is considered to be more flavourful and to have the finer texture, is the more expensive. The method used in the production for foie gras from either bird is highly controversial, and involves force feeding them in order that their livers fatten up to the required weight (in the EU, this is 300g - a normal, unfattened liver weighs around 50g).
Banned in the UK, foie gras production is most associated with Gascony, in south west France, but Hungary is also a big producer. Despite the controversy surrounding foie gras, its creamy, silky texture and unique flavour, quite unlike any other liver, means that it remains a sought-after ingredient. It can be bought whole and raw (known as lobes), semi-cooked (micuit) or cooked in paté, block or mousse.
Choose the best
Look for a delicate rosy colour, with slight touches of beige. Connoisseurs reckon that foie gras from Gascony is the best. Whole (entier) foie gras is the most expensive of all the preparations.
Prepare it
Before you do anything with a whole, raw foie gras, you'll need to remove the nerves and veins. First, chill the foie gras well, as this will firm it up, making it easier to handle. Then pick off the outer membrane before slicing horizontally into three - it may help to run your knife under warm water first, wiping it dry before cutting. Allow the liver to return to room temperature then, using your fingertips or a cocktail stick, pick out the nerves and veins, and discard.
Before you do anything with a whole, raw foie gras, you'll need to remove the nerves and veins. First, chill the foie gras well, as this will firm it up, making it easier to handle. Then pick off the outer membrane before slicing horizontally into three - it may help to run your knife under warm water first, wiping it dry before cutting. Allow the liver to return to room temperature then, using your fingertips or a cocktail stick, pick out the nerves and veins, and discard.
Store it
Fresh foie gras should be stored in the fridge in its original vacuum-sealed packaging, until use. Unopened, it will last for up to 3 weeks. Once opened, it should be used in 2 days. Foie gras paté, and other fully cooked products, can last for a couple of years unopened - check the label for instructions. Micuit foie gras should be refrigerated until used.
Fresh foie gras should be stored in the fridge in its original vacuum-sealed packaging, until use. Unopened, it will last for up to 3 weeks. Once opened, it should be used in 2 days. Foie gras paté, and other fully cooked products, can last for a couple of years unopened - check the label for instructions. Micuit foie gras should be refrigerated until used.
Cook it
Add chopped raw foie gras to minced beef for a deluxe, very juicy burger. Cut into thin medallions and pan fry (1 minute each side). Bake in a terrine (20 minutes).
Add chopped raw foie gras to minced beef for a deluxe, very juicy burger. Cut into thin medallions and pan fry (1 minute each side). Bake in a terrine (20 minutes).
Alternatives
Try pâté.
Try pâté.
- Date
Pronounce
it: da-ate
Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits - it's thought that they were a staple part of the Babylonian diet 8,000 years ago. Grown in North Africa and Israel, there are several varieties, but only a handful are exported to Britian.
Colours range from honey yellow, red to brown, the last of which is the most common.
Available fresh or dried, they're very sweet, with a rich, deep flavour and a lush, slightly chewy texture. The mahogany brown Medjool variety is the sweetest, and tastes a little like toffee.
Dates are one of the oldest cultivated fruits - it's thought that they were a staple part of the Babylonian diet 8,000 years ago. Grown in North Africa and Israel, there are several varieties, but only a handful are exported to Britian.
Colours range from honey yellow, red to brown, the last of which is the most common.
Available fresh or dried, they're very sweet, with a rich, deep flavour and a lush, slightly chewy texture. The mahogany brown Medjool variety is the sweetest, and tastes a little like toffee.
Availability
Dried and fresh dates are available the whole year round, but the fresh type are best around November to January.
Dried and fresh dates are available the whole year round, but the fresh type are best around November to January.
Choose the
best
Fresh dates should be plump and moist with glossy skins. Dried dates, though a little wrinkly, shouldn't look emaciated, and should still be plump and glossy, with an even colour. They are sold whole, packaged in long narrow boxes, or pressed into blocks.
Fresh dates should be plump and moist with glossy skins. Dried dates, though a little wrinkly, shouldn't look emaciated, and should still be plump and glossy, with an even colour. They are sold whole, packaged in long narrow boxes, or pressed into blocks.
Prepare it
Dried dates are ready to use straight away - just slice off from the block or pick as many of you need from the box, but you can also soak them in a liquid like tea or various types of alchohol, to boost flavour and moisture.
To remove the stone from a fresh date, just push it out with your fingers, or slit open lengthways, remove, and push the flesh closed again. To remove the skin, pull off the stem, then pinch at one end to push the flesh out.
Dried dates are ready to use straight away - just slice off from the block or pick as many of you need from the box, but you can also soak them in a liquid like tea or various types of alchohol, to boost flavour and moisture.
To remove the stone from a fresh date, just push it out with your fingers, or slit open lengthways, remove, and push the flesh closed again. To remove the skin, pull off the stem, then pinch at one end to push the flesh out.
Store it
Fresh dates will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week. Dried dates stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place will keep for up to a year.
Fresh dates will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for around a week. Dried dates stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place will keep for up to a year.
Alternatives
Try prune.
Try prune.
- Egg
Pronounce
it: egg
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a range of 18 vitamins and minerals. They're also hugely versatile. Almost all eggs are edible but the most commonly consumed are hen's eggs. Bantam, quail, duck and goose eggs are also readily available and vary in size and flavour.
Eggs bind mixtures together as well as enriching the flavour. Beaten egg whites provide volume by trapping air.
Choose the best
Hen's eggs come in different grades (Grade A or Class A are the best) and sizes, which are defined by weight, rather than volume (S, 45g; M, 53g; L, 63g; XL, 73g). While most Good Food recipes call for large eggs, unless otherwise stated, for individual servings, such as when frying or poaching, size doesn't matter so much. But baking is different - if you can't find the size that the recipe calls for, make sure you're using the right volume.
Always select eggs marked with the most distant 'best before' date (28 days after they have been laid) and eat them before it expires. Never buy eggs that are broken or cracked. The colour of the shell isn't an indication of quality or the bird's feed, it's dictated by the breed of bird.
The way in which the bird that laid the egg is reared is also an important factor in making your selection. Organic eggs are most expensive, as they are laid by hens who have been reared in the most humane way possible, with strict criteria to govern their housing, freedom of movement, feed (all-organic) and environment (organic land). Free-range is next, then barn eggs. Caged hen's eggs are the cheapest, as the hens who lay them are farmed in the cheapest manner with very limited room to move around, high densities and no access to direct sunlight.
Another label to look out for is the Lion Quality stamp - eggs marked with this will have been laid by hens vaccinated against salmonella.
Prepare it
Just crack them open, and you're ready to go: tap the middle of the egg against the rim of a bowl to crack the shell; insert the tips of your thumbs into the crack; draw the two halves apart, allowing the egg to drop into the bowl; use one half of the shell to fish out any fragments of shell that may have fallen into the bowl.
It's a good idea to crack each egg into an empty bowl before adding it to your mixing bowl, just in case it is bad. If you're in any doubt about how fresh an egg is before you crack it open, drop it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will drop to the bottom of the glass and stay there. A slightly older (but still safe to eat) egg will hover in the middle, while a stale egg will float on the surface - a sure sign that it should be thrown away. Once open, a very fresh egg will have a plump yolk that stands proud from the white, and the white itself will have two layers, the one that surrounds the yolk being the higher of the two.
The ultimate convenience food, eggs are powerhouses of nutrition, packed with protein and a range of 18 vitamins and minerals. They're also hugely versatile. Almost all eggs are edible but the most commonly consumed are hen's eggs. Bantam, quail, duck and goose eggs are also readily available and vary in size and flavour.
Eggs bind mixtures together as well as enriching the flavour. Beaten egg whites provide volume by trapping air.
Choose the best
Hen's eggs come in different grades (Grade A or Class A are the best) and sizes, which are defined by weight, rather than volume (S, 45g; M, 53g; L, 63g; XL, 73g). While most Good Food recipes call for large eggs, unless otherwise stated, for individual servings, such as when frying or poaching, size doesn't matter so much. But baking is different - if you can't find the size that the recipe calls for, make sure you're using the right volume.
Always select eggs marked with the most distant 'best before' date (28 days after they have been laid) and eat them before it expires. Never buy eggs that are broken or cracked. The colour of the shell isn't an indication of quality or the bird's feed, it's dictated by the breed of bird.
The way in which the bird that laid the egg is reared is also an important factor in making your selection. Organic eggs are most expensive, as they are laid by hens who have been reared in the most humane way possible, with strict criteria to govern their housing, freedom of movement, feed (all-organic) and environment (organic land). Free-range is next, then barn eggs. Caged hen's eggs are the cheapest, as the hens who lay them are farmed in the cheapest manner with very limited room to move around, high densities and no access to direct sunlight.
Another label to look out for is the Lion Quality stamp - eggs marked with this will have been laid by hens vaccinated against salmonella.
Prepare it
Just crack them open, and you're ready to go: tap the middle of the egg against the rim of a bowl to crack the shell; insert the tips of your thumbs into the crack; draw the two halves apart, allowing the egg to drop into the bowl; use one half of the shell to fish out any fragments of shell that may have fallen into the bowl.
It's a good idea to crack each egg into an empty bowl before adding it to your mixing bowl, just in case it is bad. If you're in any doubt about how fresh an egg is before you crack it open, drop it in a glass of water. A fresh egg will drop to the bottom of the glass and stay there. A slightly older (but still safe to eat) egg will hover in the middle, while a stale egg will float on the surface - a sure sign that it should be thrown away. Once open, a very fresh egg will have a plump yolk that stands proud from the white, and the white itself will have two layers, the one that surrounds the yolk being the higher of the two.
Store it
To maintain freshness it is better to store eggs in the fridge as they will last longer. Whole eggs will last for around 3 weeks after laying if kept in the fridge in their box or in a separate covered compartment. You can store whites for up to 3 weeks, put them in a container and cover with clingfilm. Yolks will last up to 3 days, these should also be covered with clingfilm. Both whites and yolks can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Keep eggs away from strong-smelling foods as they can become tainted.
To maintain freshness it is better to store eggs in the fridge as they will last longer. Whole eggs will last for around 3 weeks after laying if kept in the fridge in their box or in a separate covered compartment. You can store whites for up to 3 weeks, put them in a container and cover with clingfilm. Yolks will last up to 3 days, these should also be covered with clingfilm. Both whites and yolks can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Keep eggs away from strong-smelling foods as they can become tainted.
Cook it
Cook eggs on their own, either scrambled, poached, boiled or fried, or use to make dishes such as omelettes, frittatas, soufflés, pancakes, sauces or cakes, or use to glaze breads and pies.
When baking, use eggs at room temperature to avoid your mixture from curdling. Beat them first before adding them to the mixture.
Cook eggs on their own, either scrambled, poached, boiled or fried, or use to make dishes such as omelettes, frittatas, soufflés, pancakes, sauces or cakes, or use to glaze breads and pies.
When baking, use eggs at room temperature to avoid your mixture from curdling. Beat them first before adding them to the mixture.
Sources :
BBC Good
Food
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