Coup de foie gras
Barbara Revsin reports.
| More 'Front Burner' articles in this issue |
| Mango madness |
| Coming of age |
| The summer of Slow Food |
| The real thing |
| Sad good-bye |
| A final toast |
Chicago—In the end, Chicago's short-lived ban on foie gras was a tempest in a terrine, a misguided ploy by animal activists that piqued diners' curiosity and made the delicacy a cause célèbre.
Of course, foie gras never really disappeared; it just went underground. According to the City Council ordinance that went into effect on August 6, 2006 and was repealed on May 14, 2008, restaurants and retail establishments could be fined for selling foie gras. To get around the ban, chefs used foie gras in a dish without ever mentioning it on the menu.
Didier Durand, chef/owner of Cyrano's Bistrot & Wine Bar and cofounder of the pro-repeal Chicago Chefs for Choice, says the maneuver was relatively simple. "If a dish was overly expensive given the ingredients listed on the menu, diners knew foie gras was included." Suggesting a parallel to Prohibition, he adds, "There were times when I felt like I was running a 'duckeasy.'"
Maneuvers aside, Durand says the ban definitely had a negative effect on his revenues. Michael Tsonton, chef/owner of Copperblue and cofounder of Chicago Chefs for Choice, concurs, but as he puts it, "Given the economy, it's hard to pinpoint an exact cause for any slow down."
Enthusiasm for the ban was minimal, and enforcement was so lax that Doug Sohn, owner of Hot Doug's: The Sausage Superstore and Encased Meat Emporium, paid the only fine ($250) decreed. Named for the alderman who championed the ban, Sohn's illegal Joe Moore sausage was made with Sauternes-infused duck, foie gras, and truffled Dijon mustard.
To celebrate the repeal, Chicago chefs rolled out a dazzling array of foie gras tribute dishes, this time trumpeting its inclusion. Consider, for example, Tsonton's foie gras terrine with a wildflower honey/sweet pea jam and toasted yellow mustard seed vinaigrette, and Durand's foie gras terrine glazed with balsamic vinegar and paired with pan-seared foie gras with porcini mashed potatoes and grilled peaches. At One SixtyBlue, executive chef Martial Noguier is partnering seared foie gras with Port caramel, puree of sweet corn, and caramelized popcorn, while NoMI's Christophe David celebrates with a silken Burgundy truffle and foie gras crème brûlée with caramelized hazlenuts, petite herbs, and a scattering of tiny brioche croutons, and Steve Chiappetti at Viand is serving a hot and cold foie gras—seared Hudson Valley fois gras with smoked duck liver mousse, caramelized raisin bread crouton, and apple salad in white truffle vinaigrette.
Foie gras is also back on the menu at Tru. Executive chef/partner Rick Tramonto's foie gras spurred sparring with Charlie Trotter, chef/owner of foie gras–free Charlie Trotter's, making headlines when the ban first went into effect. Now that it's over, he's exulting with sautéed foie gras with rhubarb/vanilla compote at Tru, and at Tramonto's Steak & Seafood in suburban Wheeling, where the ban wasn't an issue, with a foie gras terrine paired with pineapple/orange relish. Sales are good, a sure sign that foie gras remains hot, even when it's served cold.
