Grilled Hudson Valley Foie Gras with Spicy Lobster Toast and Roasted Pineapple Vinaigrette
Crisp/silky foie gras slices top tempura-battered slices of lobster toast resting in a pool of sharp pineapple vinaigrette. The lobster toast — triangles of brioche with lobster mousse battered and fried tempura-style, would make a wonderful appetizer all by itself. Keep all the ingredients and equipment for the mousse well chilled.
Ingredients
- Vinaigrette
- Pineapple - 1 cup, peeled and cored, chopped
- Lemongrass - 1 teaspoon, finely chopped
- Ginger - 1 teaspoon, peeled and minced
- Garlic Clove - 1, minced
- Virgin Sesame Oil - 1 tablespoon
- Unsalted Butter - 4 ounces
- Cilantro - 1 teaspoon, chopped
- Brown Sugar - 1/4 cup
- Chipotle Chili Puree - 1/8 teaspoon
- Tamari - 1 teaspoon
- Fish Sauce (nam pla) - 1 teaspoon
- Olive Oil - 1/4 cup
- Lobster Mousse
- Lemongrass - 1 teaspoon, finely chopped
- Ginger - 1 teaspoon, peeled and minced
- Garlic Clove - 1/2, minced
- Sesame Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Lobster Meat - 1/2 pound, chopped
- Rock Shrimp - 1/4 pound, chopped
- Salmon fillet - 1/4 pound, skinned, boned, and chopped
- Egg - 1 large
- Tamari - 1 teaspoon
- Chipotle Chili Puree - 1/4 teaspoon
- Paprika - 1/4 teaspoon
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/4 cup
- Tempura Batter
- Egg Whites - 2 cups
- Beer - 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces)
- Chives - 1/8 cup, chopped
- Cilantro - 1/8 cup, chopped
- Rice Flour - 4 cups
- Corn Starch - 1/2 cup
- Foie Gras and Lobster Toast
- Foie gras - four, 1-1/2 slices, cleaned
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- Brioche - 4 small slices, trimmed square
- Canola oil - for frying
Instructions
To make the vinaigrette: Saute the pineapple, lemongrass, ginger, and garlic in sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter over medium heat until almost all liquid has evaporated and the vegetables are caramelized. Add the remaining ingredients and saute for 3 minutes. Puree the mixture until smooth. Press through a fine-meshed sieve and put in a non-aluminum container; refrigerate.
To prepare the mousse: Lightly saute the lemongrass, ginger, and garlic in the sesame oil and let cool. Put all the ingredients except the cream in the bowl of a food processor and lightly puree until smooth. With the machine running slowly, drizzle in the cream. Put the mousse in a container and refrigerate until ready to use.
To prepare the batter: Blend all ingredients together and set aside.
To prepare the foie gras and toasts: Season the foie gras on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat a medium nonstick saute pan over high heat. Sear the foie gras until crisped, about 20 to 30 seconds per side. Set aside; keep warm.
Spread lobster mousse on one side of each brioche square. Heat the canola oil to 375 F n a deep fryer or deep pan. Dip the brioche squares in the tempura batter and deep-fry until golden brown, about 1 minute. Lift the brioche from the fryer with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Cut each square diagonally to make two triangles.
To serve: Pool pineapple vinaigrette in the center of each serving plate. Place two lobster toast triangles over the vinaigrette, overlapping the triangles slightly. Place a grilled foie gras slice over the toast.
