Skip to main content

Cheater Foie Gras

Recipes, like everything else fashionable, rise and fall with popular perception. They’re in, they’re out, they’re hot, they’re hopelessly last season. Liver has never caught the wave of coolness, unless it’s taken from a force-fed goose. Even liver as haute couture as foie gras is on the OUT list, branded as inhumane and even outlawed in some places. Slumming with ready-to-wear liverwurst, on the other hand, is looking pretty fresh. Why shouldn’t it? Liverwurst has plenty in common with foie gras, especially its color and buttery smoothness when it’s blended with cream cheese. Instead of slapping it on rye bread with mustard, serve it with the sweet flavors that commonly adorn foie gras, and your perception will instantly change. This is absolutely one of R. B.’s favorite cheater recipes.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    makes 2 cups

Ingredients

8 ounces braunschweiger, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon coarse-grained mustard
1 tablespoon bottled smoke
Dash of hot pepper sauce

For Servings

Melba toast or crackers of your choice
Green apple slices, dates, or figs
Hot pepper jelly, fig or cherry preserves, orange marmalade, and/or smoked paprika for garnish

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    COMBINE the braunschweiger, cream cheese, mustard, bottled smoke, and hot pepper sauce in a medium bowl and blend together with a fork until creamy.

    Step 2

    PILE the mixture in a crock or bowl. Cover and chill until serving time.

    Step 3

    SERVE as a spread with toasts, fruit, and your choice of garnishes.

Cheater BBQ
Read More
Turn humble onions into this thrifty yet luxe pasta dinner.
Put that half-full tub to use with recipes that go beyond the Italian American classics.
This one-pot dinner cooks chicken thighs directly on top of a bed of flavorful cilantro rice studded with black beans for a complete dinner.
Keep this easy frittata recipe on hand for quick breakfasts, impressive brunches, and fridge clean-out meals.
This easy, one-skillet chicken stroganoff features tender chicken breasts, savory mushrooms, and a creamy Dijon-crème fraîche sauce—perfect for weeknights.
Like Sri Lankan cashew curry and vegan stuffed shells.
Use this simple vinaigrette to dress a plate of greens, some steamed potatoes, or anything else that strikes your fancy.
Filberts, goobers, scaly bark nuts: Explore the world beyond almonds in this guide.