Bidor local product made it big again, and this time reign supreme as Foie Gras in a Kuala Lumpur top hotel. Check out The Star’s report on this:
LIKE eating butter with a crispy skin. That is how connoisseurs describe savouring goose liver, or foie gras as the French calls it.
One of the best ways to enjoy this delicacy, recommended Sharus Mizal Salleh, the chef de cuisine of Urban from Hotel Istana, is to have it pan-seared.
“It should be coated with flour which acts as a protective layer to preserve the liver juices. The pan has to be hot enough so you can hear the sizzle,” said Sharus.
For optimal enjoyment, eat it the moment it is served. Linger even a minute longer and the fat will melt away, taking with it the rich texture and flavours.
No stranger to the ingredient in his two-decade-long career, Sharus has paired the subtle flavours of this soft, creamy and delicate ingredient with various Asian elements before such as rambutan, jackfruit and even pennywort (pegaga). One combination he was especially proud of had chee cheong fun (rice noodle) roll paired with shredded duck filling.
For the current promotion, Sharus and his team came up with six creations – three starters and three mains.
One starter that won our palates over was the seared foie gras with glazed sapodilla (ciku) and apple foie gras mousse. The mousse, encased in an apple jelly capsule, could have passed off for dessert as it had fruity hints of green apple from the Granny Smith variety.
We also liked how Sharus had glazed a slice of foie gras with teriyaki to combine the subtle flavours of the liver with the savoury notes of the sauce in another starter. Another pair was eel marinated together with kabayaki.
Both sat on a creamy bed of truffle and trumpet mushroom risotto. First commis Amelia Ng, winner of the Jeunes Chefs Rôtisseurs Competition for 2017, was in charge of pan-searing the foie gras. She was also the hand behind the duck breast, Australian lamb rack and beef sirloin for this promotion’s main courses.
Ng treated the Australian beef, a thick medal of muscle with visible marbling, with ultmost care.
Served medium rare with a beautiful pink centre, Ng pan-seared it for eight minutes to seal in the juices before popping it into the oven for eight minutes at 180°C, and removing it the moment it reached a core temperature of 60°C.
Served together with this dish was a slice of foie gras resting on top of the sirloin like a tiara.
Likened to slicing through layers of butter, this dish was complemented with an asparagus tip, roasted beetroot, truffle slice, mashed potato and mesh cut potato crisps, made to stand like a garden hedge on the plate.
Ng’s secret to her rendition of soft-as-butter steaks lies in letting her meats rest. It is a step that requires courage because the meat has to be removed from heat just as it is about to reach its chosen “doneness”. Fear that the meat might not have reached its correct doneness is one reason why many chefs falter when it comes to affording meat ample resting time.
Those who like duck will enjoy the foie gras and duck breast pairing. Tender and filled with the juicy goodness of the meat, the duck, marinated in five spice powder, is from Bidor, Perak. Done at medium, it went nicely with tamarind jus carrying just the slightest hint of sour notes, which balanced the gamey edge. A duck rillette wanton which came in this main dish reminded one of a fluffy pillow.
To Bidor peeps who want to have a taste of our Bidor product, the foie gras promotion in Urban ends Oct 31.
URBAN Restaurant
Hotel Istana Kuala Lumpur,
73 Jalan Raja Chulan, 50200 Kuala Lumpur.
Business Hours:
(Mon-Fri) lunch: 12.30pm – 3.30pm
(Mon-Sat) dinner: 6.30pm-11pm.
Closed on Sundays and Public Holidays. Tel: 03-2141 9988 ext 3691
Pic & News Credits: The Star