accordingly there is very little connective tissue between the minute hexagonal columns of cells It’s a delicate organ that is best briefly cooked; long cooking simply dries it out The characteristic flavor of liver has been little investigated, but seems to depend importantly on sulfur compounds (thiazoles and thiazolines), and gets stronger with prolonged cooking Generally, both flavor and texture coarsen with age The occasionally milky appearance of chicken livers is due to an unusual but harmless accumulation of fat, about double the amount in a normal red liver (8% instead of 4%) Foie Gras Of the various animal innards that cooks have put to good use, one deserves special mention, because it is in a way the ultimate meat, the epitome of animal flesh and its essential appeal Foie gras is the “fat liver” of force- fed geese and ducks It has been made and appreciated since Roman times and probably long before; the force-feeding of geese is clearly represented in Egyptian art from 2500 BCE It’s a kind of living pâté, ingeniously prepared in the growing bird before it’s slaughtered Constant overnourishment causes the normally small, lean, red organ to grow to 10 times its normal size and reach a fat content of 50 to 65% The fat is dispersed in insensibly fine droplets within the liver cells, and creates an incomparably integrated, delicate blend of smoothness, richness, and savoriness Preparing Foie Gras A good-quality liver is recognized by its unblemished appearance, pale thanks to the minute fat droplets, and by its consistency The liver tissue itself is firm but pliable (like chicken liver), while the fat is only semisolid at cool room temperature When cool and pressed with the finger, a good ... pale thanks to the minute fat droplets, and by its consistency The liver tissue itself is firm but pliable (like chicken liver), while the fat is only semisolid at cool room temperature When cool and pressed with the finger, a good... prepared in the growing bird before it’s slaughtered Constant overnourishment causes the normally small, lean, red organ to grow to 10 times its normal size and reach a fat content of 50 to 65% The fat is dispersed in...fed geese and ducks It has been made and appreciated since Roman times and probably long before; the force-feeding of geese is clearly represented in Egyptian art from 2500 BCE It’s a kind of living pâté, ingeniously