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Star-Shaped Gingerbread Topped with Foie Gras and a Pear-Vanilla Confit

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Star-Shaped Gingerbread with Foie Gras and Pear Confit
  • Author: Delphine Fortin
  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Cook Time: 1 hour 30 mins
  • Total Time: 2 hours 30 mins
  • Yield: 8-10 toasts 1x
  • Category: Savory
  • Cuisine: French recipes

This Christmas, treat yourself with a festive French gingerbread topped with foie gras and served with a pear-vanilla confit.

Ingredients

Scale

For the gingerbread:

  • 2/3 cup (210g) honey
  • 1 cup (110g) rye flour
  • 3/4 cup (110g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup (110g) cold plain milk
  • 3 Tablespoons (40g) caster sugar
  • 1 pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons (12g) baking powder
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup (75g) melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zests
  • 1 teaspoon orange zests
  • 1 teaspoon all-spice
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

For the pear-vanilla confit:

  • 4 large pears, peeled and finely diced
  • 2 cups (400g) caster sugar
  • 1 vanilla pod
  • 1 slice of lemon peel

For the foie gras:

  • 1 bloc (7 oz/200g) foie gras

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C). Grease a loaf pan with butter.
  2. For the gingerbread: pour honey in a large bowl. Add rye flour and mix until well combined, using a hand mixer or a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on low speed. Incorporate one at a time all-purpose flour, cold milk, sugar, salt, baking powder, eggs and melted butter, stirring well after each addition. Add the spices and stir well.
  3. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for about 50 minutes. When the gingerbread is lukewarm, unmold it and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  4. For the pear-vanilla confit: Place the pears into a large mixing bowl, cover with sugar and add the grated vanilla pod with the pod itself. Let sit for at least 3 hours.
  5. Transfer into a medium-sized saucepan, add the lemon peel, and bring to boil on low heat, stirring occasionally. Lower the heat and let simmer for about 35 minutes (place a drop of confit onto a plate, if it’s ready it will freeze instantly).
  6. Remove the vanilla pod, and pour the confit into glass jars.
  7. Slice the gingerbread into 8 to 10 slices, and using a cookie cutter, cut a star in the middle of each slice.*
  8. Serve two stars of gingerbread on top of each other, add a slice of foie gras and garnish with the pear-vanilla confit. Grind fresh pepper on top for the final touch.

Notes

* Use the gingerbread crumbs/leftovers in a tiramisu or as the bottom part of a cheesecake.