Foie gras torchon: cheesecloth and poach, or cling film and a quick cure?
When I ran the line at a bistro on Valencia Street, we wrapped every torchon in cheesecloth and poached it in duck fat at 150F for 25 minutes, then hung it in the walk-in for 3 days. Now at my own spot I skip the poach, pack the lobes in a terrine with 2% salt and a splash of Sauternes, and let it set for 48 hours before slicing with a hot knife. The old way gave me a denser, more uniform terrine that held up to service, but the raw cure keeps the liver tasting brighter and saves me about an hour of hands-on time each batch. Two chefs I trust say the poach is the only safe bet for texture, and two others say curing is foolproof if your sanitation is dialed. Which method do you run in your kitchen, and what convinced you?