Vegan Foie Gras
There is no need to force-feed your cashew nuts with Armagnac to obtain a cruelty-free vegan foie gras surprisingly close to the real one in terms of look, texture and taste.
Ingredients
- 2 cups raw cashews
- 1/4 cup deodorised cocoa butter
- 1/4 cup deodorised coconut oil
- 2 tbsp water
- 3 tbsp sweet white miso
- 2 tbsp & 1/2 tsp Armagnac (or Cognac)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 1 tsp truffle oil
- 1/2 tsp shiitake powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 tsp black or white pepper
Yellow fat (optional)
- 3 tbsp refined coconut oil
- 1/8 tsp turmeric
Instructions
- Soak the cashews overnight. Drain and rinse the cashews.
- To make the shiitake powder: Grind 3 dried shiitake mushrooms in a small grinder or food processor until you get a very fine powder. Set aside 1/2 tsp powder and keep the leftover in an airtight container for other uses.
- Add the cashews to the bowl of a blender with the water, white miso, Armagnac, nutritional yeast, tahini, shiitake powder, and truffle oil.
- Melt the cocoa butter in a small saucepan and measure 1/4 cup of melted cocoa butter and add them to the blender. Do the same for the coconut oil.
- Add the salt and pepper and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides from time to time. The mixture will be very thick, if you don't have a powerful blender, use a food processor.
- Stack three 7cm (4cm tall) cake rind moulds and line them with parchment paper (sides and bottom). Pour the mixture into the moulds and flatten the top. Alternatively, you can use any pan you have on hand: round, rectangular, etc. Smooth the top using a knife and cover it with plastic film.
- Place in the refrigerator for at least one day, it will become much firmer and the flavours will have time to merge.
- For the yellow fat (optional): Melt the refined coconut oil and turmeric over low heat and mix well. Let sit at room temperature until the coconut oil becomes spreadable again. Using your fingers, spread some coloured coconut oil around the foie gras to make it look like yellow fat.
- Serve cold and spread on toasted bread, vegan brioche, etc. This vegan foie gras pairs well with sweet French white wines.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 24 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 131Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 106mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 3g
A little history: foie gras
What does it mean? In French, foie gras literally means “fat liver.” It’s the liver of a specially fattened duck (most common today) or goose, served as silky terrine or torchon, or seared in golden slices.
Where it started, the idea is ancient: Egyptians depicted the fattening of geese on tomb walls, and the practice spread around the Mediterranean. The Romans prized fig-fed goose liver—iecur ficatum—and that Latin phrase is the ancestor of the French word foie (and even Italian fegato, Spanish hígado).
How it became French. In medieval and early-modern Europe, goose-fattening techniques flourished in Central/Eastern Europe and Alsace, and were then refined in France. By the 18th–19th centuries, regions like Strasbourg and Southwest France (Périgord, Landes, Gers) made foie gras a holiday luxury and a hallmark of French gastronomy.
A note on ethics & alternatives. As exquisite as foie gras can be, its traditional production involves force-feeding birds (gavage), which many consider cruel; if you want the indulgence without the practice, a vegan “foie gras” — often called faux gras — makes perfect sense. Mushroom-, nut-, or legume-based pâtés with aromatics and a splash of brandy can deliver that same luxurious vibe.
