Foie Gras?? Advice needed for dinner tonight....

[ChocOrange05]

Hi all

I am going to a restaurant tonight and having a set menu, one part of which is foie gras. I could ask for something else but I love the stuff and was wondering whether I could eat it on this one occasion??

It is a michelin star restaurant which I mention not to show off but to say that the quality of food should be top notch with the risk of dodgy goods low (I think!). Some of my friends have told me that as long as food is well sourced and you don't have it all the time then it shouldn't be a problem.

What do you think??

Thanks!

i wouldn't have a whole portion but a mouthfull or two of someone elses plate should be fine

The problem with foie gras is not that it might contain nasty bugs, but that it is liver which has high levels of vit A which is believed to cause birth defects. Although I think that the risk is mainly in the first trimester, I may be wrong.

apart from the ethics of fois gras, it's the vitamin A levels that are high in liver and not recommended in preg. as well as the infection risk, which I agree should be low in a decent restaurant.

a few mouthfuls as above rather than a whole portion, maybe...Cass

Have to admit I was at a graduation meal in a very posh restuarant yesterday and had a wee bit with toast rather than the whole portion for a starter. It was lovely. I know it's wrong on a few different levels but I couldn't resist.

Don't worry Karney I think I am going to fail tonight too and have a few mouthfuls!! I don't think it can hurt but if I get a three headed baby I will let you know!

Check how foie gras is made and you'll be happy taking something else instead .

It's made by force feeding ducks.

I may be flamed here but i feel far more comfortable eating foie gras (and creaming myself with orgasmic pleasure every second that it is in my mouth) once a year than eating a tasteless and dry sandwich made from factory chicken every week or so. Extent of cruelty is the same for both animals imo but consumption of foie gras does less damage to welfare of poultry as a whole as it affects far fewer birds.

Hi Chocorange, I would go with your approach of having it but maybe not eating it all. I know liver is bad cos of teh vit A but the amount you will get from one portion can't be too bad if you are avoiding it the rest of the time... just my opinion though! Plus you are well into 2nd trimester so past the risky stage.

I was on hols last week in Sardinia and ate tons of seafood (inc. some shellfish) but only in good restaurants and also had a tny glass of wine every night! Ooh, and had some goats cheese. I think you just need to be happy with your own decisions, and maybe check that your DH is happy too!

By the way, I think you have to tell us - what lovely restaurant are you going to??

Some excellent restaurants sell (relatively) cruelty-free foie gras now. The goose still has a diseased liver, but by making yummy food available at all times rather than force feeding. Rather like an unhealthy pet can be obsese through greed. Alimentum in Cambridge only use this (they also have a gadget that kills lobsters instantly, with an electric bolt, because the boiling alive thing is downright horrific). And I agree with withandchips, too - weird how people are so anti foie gras and hunting, while happily chowing down on KFC.

Sorry, rather off topic - I think a little of someone else's isn't harmful on toast as karney had it, after the first trimester is over? That can't contain too much vitamin A, surely.

Hi all - thanks for your responses but I have already done the deed!

Thomasina I went to Club Gascon in Smithfields Market in London and ate very badly (for a pregnant lady).

I had scallops to start, then the foie gras and even some veal cooked pink. Ok I know I am naughty and as for Animal Rights I am a complete write off but I did enjoy it! (Oh and as it was a posh reastaurant the portion sizes were only little.)

PS - witchandchips I never thought of it like that, I only buy free range chicken as I hate the battery packed ones!