"Fresh Liver for cooking."

The Latin word for liver is iecur. However the Roman tradition of force feeding figs to geese in order to obtain a delicacy they called ficatum, which due to a change of accents and gave us the modern Italian word 'fegato'. A detailed discription of the aforementioned custom can be found in the writings of the noted Latin epicurian philosopher Apicio. Those who supply us with this product today are simply revisiting an ancient Italian culinary tradition which for many years had been left in the hands of the French. The word ficatum is now registered to the Corte dell'Oca, a gastronomic emporium in Mortara, a town in northern Italy. As well as the better known method of feeding geese on figs there exists an alternative in corn. The foie gras (fattened liver) obtained can be used in various ways. The most highly acclaimed being roughly chopped and cooked in earthernwear dishes - terrina - or, braised - scaloppa. Curiously the more famous paté is considered by experts to be the poorest form of this exquisite delicacy.

Foie Gras in Torcione

This high quality gastronomic product is made from the most highly acclaimed part of the goose - foie gras. It was originally made as an alternative to the terrina method and is not only appreciated for its exquisite taste but also for the practical advantages this form of packaging offers. The production procedure is quite complex and the following description has been simplified.

- the liver is cleaned and the veins removed
- it is then marinated
- finally it is cooked
We recommend serving it as an hor d'oeuvre on lightly toasted bread accompanied by a sauce which will compliment its characteristics without covering its delicate taste, for example apple sauce.

Foie Gras in Terrina.

This is the product which introduced the Corte dell'Oca to the preparation and packaging of foie gras.
The procedure for preparing the liver and packaging it in the earthenware dish known as a terrina is exactly the same as that described for the preparation of the torcione. The only different being that the product is cooked directly in the dish which is made of oven-proof material. Serve with toasted bread croutons and with sauces that will not cover the delicate taste of the product.

Paté de Foie Gras

Today many consumers confuse this product with the others described above (terrina and torcione), however there are some very important differences which both the palate and the eye can easily distinguish.
Put simply we can say that while the fattened liver itself and the torcione are the result of the preparation of a whole liver and are normally enjoyed sliced, paté (which means mixture) is the product of creaming the liver and adding butter and natural aromas and is served spread on toasted slices.