Savor the sophistication of a guilt-free indulgence with our Vegan Faux Gras Terrine recipe. Crafted with finesse and compassion, this plant-based delight embodies the opulence of traditional foie-gras without compromising on taste or ethics.
My Foie Gras to Faux Gras adventure
Foie Gras was and is associated with opulence, luxury, and the finest dining tables around the world. It's an ingredient that supposedly validates culinary prowess or social status.
The 1st time I tasted Foie Gras was as an 18-year-old chef doing an internship at a fancy country house hotel in Dorset, UK.
I spat it out the first time I tasted it! It was a fatty, buttery, jelly-like substance - not what I was expecting after all the hype!
I went on to enjoy Foie Gras and learned to cook it at the best restaurants in the world, serving whole lobes of Foie Gras at The French Laundry, and learned to make their famous Foie Gras Au Torchon. I learned to cook hot Foie gras portions at The Fat Duck, by cooking sous vide at a set temperature and then caramelizing with a blow torch. This was the 3 Michelin star way.
This is all the past and distant memory! My career as a meat and fish cook has evolved into a plant and funghi cook. Previously, I took satisfaction in connecting with nature through the animals I prepared and cooked. Now, I take the utmost pleasure and joy in cooking and eating only plants and fungi.
If you had told me this was going to happen 10 years ago, I would have thought you were completely mad! I was always the meat cook, butcher, or fishmonger. This was my life as a cook.
You can read more about my Animal to Plants story here...
Why Vegan Faux Gras?
This recipe makes you stop and think; is there another way? Do we need to eat a liver from a duck or goose that's been force-fed?
It's 2024, the world has changed a lot over the last few years. We all need to question our eating habits. What we put on our plates impacts our health, the environment, the climate, and of course... the animals.
Salutation Inn, Topsham, Devon
I served this recipe as a canape at a vegan dining event at Salutation. It was the perfect conversation starter at an event where 98% of the guests were meat eaters! It set the tone for the night.
Anantara Kihavah, Maldives
I introduced this recipe to the team at Anantara Kihavah, Maldives as part of our Wellness Chef training program. The culinary team loved the technique and the recipe made its way onto their wellness menus.
Gaeavilla Resort, Hualien, Taiwan
At Gaeavilla Resort in Taiwan, we shared our Vegan Faux Gras recipe. It was a new flavor profile for locals. Those who had tasted Foie Gras before were able to make the connection of flavor, taste, and texture. We serve this dish as part of a 6-course Holistic Tasting menu
Ingredients you will need
- Cashew nuts
- Cacao butter
- Coconut oil
- Water
- Cognac
- Miso
- Truffle oil
- Nutritional yeast
- Tahini
- Mushroom powder
- Sea salt
- Black pepper
- Turmeric powder
Equipment you will need
- Weighing scales
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Whisk
- A good high-speed blender
- Molds to set the terrine
How to make
- Assemble all the ingredients.
- Soak the cashews in filtered water overnight in the fridge.
- Melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan.
- Add the cashews to the bowl of a blender with the water, miso, cognac, nutritional yeast, tahini, mushroom powder, and truffle oil.
- Add the salt and pepper and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides.
- The mixture will be very thick, if you don’t have a powerful blender, use a food processor.
- You can use any mold you have on hand: Pour the mix into the mold.
- Smooth the top using a knife and cover it.
- Store in the fridge overnight to set.
- Brush with turmeric-infused coconut oil and put back in the fridge to set.
- To portion: cut with a clean, sharp, warm knife into bite-size pieces.
What to serve with Vegan Faux Gras
I like to cook with the seasons and regions. Utilize what is in season when you are making this recipe. I always serve with a sweet and sour fruit chutney, a nut, a seed, a crisp element, and some nice salad leaves or edible flowers.
Here are three potential combinations.
- Mulberry jam, pistachio, omega seed crisps, watercress
- Apricot jam, walnut, pumpkin seeds, nasturtium leaves
- Cherry jam, pecan, sunflower seeds, celery, alfalfa sprouts
We hope you enjoy making this recipe. Please let us know how it worked out and what you served it with. Happy cooking!
📋 Recipe
Vegan Faux Gras Terrine
Equipment
- Weighing scales
- Mixing bowl
- Spatula
- Whisk
- Vitamix
- Moulds
Ingredients
- 300 g Cashews
- 60 g Cacao butter melted and cooled
- 60 g Coconut oil melted and cooled
- 30 ml Water - filtered
- 30 ml Cognac
- 50 g Miso
- 5 ml Truffle oil
- 15 g Nutritional yeast
- 30 g Tahini
- 1 teaspoon Mushroom powder optional
- 1 teaspoon Sea salt
- 1 teaspoon Black pepper - ground
Yellow Fat
- 50 ml Coconut oil
- ⅛ teaspoon Turmeric powder
Instructions
Assemble all ingredients
- 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 ½ teaspoon powder and keep the leftover in an airtight container for other uses.
Make the Faux Gras Terrine mix
- Melt the cocoa butter and coconut oil in a small saucepan.
- Add the cashews to the bowl of a blender with the water, white miso, cognac, nutritional yeast, tahini, shiitake powder and truffle oil.
- Add the salt and pepper and blend until completely smooth, scraping down the sides from time to time. The mix should be very thick.
- You can use any mould you have on hand: Pour the mix into the mould. Smooth the top using a knife and cover.
Yellow Fat
- Melt the coconut oil and turmeric over low heat and mix well. Let sit at room temperature until the coconut oil becomes spreadable again.
- Brush some colored coconut oil around the Faux Gras to make it look like yellow fat.
- Chill the Faux Gras until ready to slice and serve
Nutrition
BREDA says
Delicious recipe, loving the addition of the sweet and sour chutney.💚
Jamie Raftery says
Thank you Breda, yes, a nice sweet and sour fruit chutney is a great accompaniment. Happy cooking!
Dec says
Unbelievable thought going into this recipe to match the indulgence of original Faux Gras without the unnecessary cruelty that comes from the original process. This recipe has the flavour and decadence to stand on it's own as a true culinary wow factor dish!! 5 stars today and every day with these Holistic Chef recipes.
Jamie Raftery says
Thank you Dec, delighted you enjoyed the recipe!