Since I have tasted foie gras I have been in a quest to replicate that nutty, buttery rich flavour in something that will be close, you can call it faux gras, made with alternative ( and available to me) ingredients. Experimented with duck fat, normal duck livers, walnut oil, sesame seed oil, brown butter and different recipes on the web to create it. I have not come close to the holy grail yet, but still some darn tasty things on the way, one I would share it is hazelnut paté, one of the most popular.

• 350 g chicken livers
• 140g eggs
• 7g of salt
• 1g of pink curing salt (optional, will keep the pink after cooked)
• 0.35g black pepper
• 70g hazelnut butter

If you cannot come across hazelnut butter you can make your own by toasting, remove the husk, grind them and pound them in a mortar till you get butter texture. (Annoying procedure unless you have a melanger, but it is not much what it is required and can be made by hand ).

Blitz all the ingredients in a blender, and pass them via a strainer. Place into weck mould jars and cook 90@68 sous vide. Alternative you can cook this in the oven in a ramekins or bread pan (lined with cling wrap and oil) in a water bath at 110 degrees till the internal temperature of the paté reaches at least 61 degrees.

In the photo it is served over a salad, in a fig and walnut bread, onion marmalade and pomegranate.