Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Food & Drink

3 Flavorful (and Ethical) Alternatives to Foie Gras, According to Chefs

Taylor Tobin
By

In late 2019, New York City passed a measure to officially ban the sale of foie gras, a French delicacy traditionally made from the liver of a duck or goose who has been force-fed to enrich the texture and flavor of the organ. NYC now joins the entire state of California in forbidding foie gras from appearing on shop inventory lists and restaurant menus, and other American cities and states may soon follow suit.

foie gras plate
Zijie Guo/EyeEm/Getty Images

While the foie gras ban is, of course, excellent news to animal rights activists and others who oppose the unethical treatment of living creatures, many New York and California diners who love the silky mouthfeel and nuanced flavor profile of this luxurious spread find themselves wondering how to replicate this dish in a way that doesn’t violate any laws. We spoke with chefs to get their thoughts on making “foie gras” alternatives that abide by the restrictions without sacrificing flavor, and they shared three viable options to help you satisfy those foie cravings in an ethical way.

Recommended Videos

Nut and Mushroom Foie Gras

Plant-based spins on dishes typically made with animal products are having a major moment right now, so it should come as no surprise that a savory vegan version of foie gras exists. Executive chef Lauren Mahlke of Planted Table in Oakland, CA prepares hers with mushrooms and nuts, telling us that “[we make] a version of the most wonderful nut-mushroom pate — or ‘vegan foie gras’ — using pecans, cashews, and various mushrooms to add rich umami and fat to a vegan pate. My favorite mushroom right now is Hedgehog, which has such a meaty, sweet taste when roasted. Puree [the mushrooms] with soaked pecans and cashews, a splash of liquid aminos, and shallots deglazed with Cognac [to] add a rich, salty, and sweet element that [delivers] foie gras flavor without any of the cruelty.”

Free-Range Duck Foie Gras

The forced feeding of foie gras ducks and geese is widely considered a form of animal cruelty, which provides the basis for the laws opposing the dish. However, some foie purveyors manage to produce a product that doesn’t require compulsory feeding and that uses livers harvested from ducks raised in an ethical manner. “At Breda in Amsterdam, [chef] Guillaume de Beer makes an amazing foie gras. But he doesn’t make it by force-feeding geese. It still has liver and fat in it, but it’s made with a machine. So the way I understand it, the ducks are raised in a free range and slaughtered in an ethical way, and then the livers are used to made foie gras,” says culinary blogger Heloise Blaure of HomeKitchenLand.

Chef/owner Deborah VanTrece of Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours in Atlanta also appreciates foie gras variations with a focus on animal welfare, and she specifically recommends “Foie Royale, a German product that makes an excellent alternative [that] mimics the foie gras taste and texture brilliantly. The [most] impressive part is the texture of Foie Royale. It is so much like the real thing. What a time to be alive … we can enjoy foie gras without the cruelty and we can make plant-based meat that ‘bleeds’ as red meat alternatives.”

Infused Chicken-Liver Foie Gras

Chicken livers already factor into many charcuterie and appetizer menus, often in the form of chicken-liver mousse. For chef Dave Beran of pasjoli in Santa Monica, CA, livers from ethically raised and slaughtered chickens can work in foie gras, provided that they receive a flavor infusion to imbue them with the necessary richness. “We’re battling the curse of no foie gras here in LA. So chicken livers infused with Madeira, butter, cream, port, and shallots, [and] prepared in the style of a traditional goose liver torchon is our own take [on a typical foie gras],” Beran tells The Manual of the foie gras alternative offered on his own menu after the California ban took effect.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Taylor Tobin
Taylor Tobin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Taylor Tobin is a freelance food, drink, and lifestyle writer based in Brooklyn. She's contributed content to publications…
The Art of Stir-Fried Shrimp from a Chinese Master Chef
Plate of Green Prawns from Philippe Chow.

While shrimp is delicious deep-fried or grilled, for many Chinese chefs, stir-frying is the preferred method. As a small crustacean, shrimp cook fast, quickly becoming a rubbery and unpleasant mess if overdone. At its best, stir-frying is a marriage of high heat and speed, making it the perfect cooking style for a fast-cooking ingredient like shrimp.

At Philippe Chow restaurant in New York City, famed Hong Kong chef Philippe Chow has mastered the techniques of stir-fried shrimp. Chow's food is a blend of his classic Chinese culinary training and a unique, theatrical style. Because of this modern combination, Philippe Chow has grown into a celebrity hotspot over the years with guests like Penelope Cruz, Nick Cannon, Ciara, and Russell Wilson. Seafood is a highlight at Philippe Chow with excellent renditions of Chinese stir-fried shellfish with flavors ranging from peppery to spicy and sweet. However, one unique shrimp dish stands out at Philippe Chow — the Green Prawns. This intensely colorful dish of bright green shrimp is a blend of both classic stir-frying techniques and distinctive Philippe Chow flair.

Read more
A Guide to Going Vegan, It’s More Than Just Food

From reducing your risk of various diseases, losing weight, and feeling more energized to taking care of animals, reducing your carbon footprint and environmental impact, there are many reasons why you might want to become a vegan and the benefits associated with going vegan. "Going vegan" can mean different things to different guys. While some focus solely on removing all animal products (including meat, poultry, fish, dairy, and honey) from their diet, others commit fully to embracing a vegan lifestyle, eliminating all animal products or products tested on animals from their home, personal care products, clothing, etc.
Going vegan can initially feel like a sacrifice, as there can be many foods and go-to favorite products your new lifestyle will no longer support. However, the good news is that veganism is much more than a flash-in-the-pan fad; rather, it's been -- and continues to be -- a growing movement gaining support and popularity from consumers and brands alike. So, whether you’re putting aside meat, eggs, cheese, leather, and the like for the first time, are curious about vegan food products, or have been committed to doing your part for animals and the planet for years, keep reading for some of our top picks and recommendations for the best foods, drinks, clothing items, and lifestyle products for vegans.

Food

Read more
Chef Tom Colicchio and Holy Grail Partner on Holiday Roasts
Celebrity chef Tom Colicchio.

Credit: Holy Grail Steak Co Image used with permission by copyright holder

Anyone who considers themselves a “foodie” knows Chef Tom Colicchio and his series of highly successful restaurants under his hospitality group Crafted Hospitality. However, most Americans know him for making amateur chefs sweat and showing off his 8-minute meals as a judge on Top Chef, one of the most successful reality cooking shows around. When he’s not doing that, he’s advocating for restauranteurs, supply chain issues, and hunger relief. 
Who is Holy Grail Steak Company?
So, needless to say, Chef Colicchio knows his stuff. That’s why his collaboration with Holy Grail Steak Co. is so exciting and meaningful. If you haven’t heard of Holy Grail Steak Co., the name explains it all. Purveyors of some of the finest cuts of meat around, Holy Grail Steak Co. works directly with small ranchers dedicated to raising cattle with no hormones, no antibiotics, sustainable pasturing, and humane living conditions. The folks at Holy Grail will go on to say that the living conditions of the cattle at the farms they partner with aren’t just humane but luxurious. 

Read more