Instructions: Rinse foie gras; pat dry. Gently pull apart the lobes. Discard any tough membrane. Cut pieces crosswise into 3/4-inch-thick slices; cover and chill.

Divide butter between 2 nonstick frying pans, 12 to 14 inches wide; melt over medium-high heat. Stir 1/4 cup sugar into each. Lay apples equally in pans. Cook until wedges are browned and soft but still hold their shape, 15 to 20 minutes; turn as needed.

Set a slice of toast on each dinner plate; arrange apples equally beside toast and place in a 150 degree oven.

Quickly rinse and dry frying pans; place over high heat. When hot, fill with a single layer of foie gras; pieces can touch but shouldnt be crowded. Brown on 1 side, about 30 seconds; turn and brown other side, about 30 seconds more. As slices are browned, quickly put on toast and keep warm. To reduce spattering, pour fat from pan as it accumulates; reserve for other uses.

Pour all but 3 tablespoons drippings from 1 pan. Add broth and vinegar to pan and bring to a boil over high heat. Pour hot dressing over greens, mix, and mound beside apples and toast. Serve at once, adding salt to taste.

This recipe yields 6 to 8 main-dish servings.

Comments: Up to a day ahead, caramelize, cool, cover, and chill the apples. Reheat in a single layer in a shallow pan in a 350 degree oven about 10 minutes. Toast bread and prepare greens before cooking the foie gras.

Foie Gras: First it was French and expensive. Now its scattered among first courses and main dishes on every upscale menu, and even a few that arent so grand. Whats behind this luxurious explosion?

Availability. Until recent years, foie gras - fatted liver from specially fed ducks and geese - was imported. But now there are two well-established domestic producers, one in New York, the other in Sonoma, California, where Guillermo and Junny Gonzalez produce 1,000 duck foies gras a week.

Foie gras bears little resemblance to what most of us think of as liver. Its color ranges from cream to a pale cafe au lait. When sauteed quickly, the meltingly silky foie gras becomes delicately crisp on the surface. Its flavor is subtle to some, sublime to others.

A whole foie gras, composed of two lobes, weighs from 1 to 2 pounds and makes as many as 12 appetizer portions. Grade determines the price and is based on appearance and texture. For a classic foie gras terrine, use grade A. But if slices are to be browned, grades B and C are quite acceptable.

High prices and fat content undoubtedly put foie gras in the special-occasion category. Even so, there is an economical side: few restaurants offer servings for less than $10, so home-cooked is almost a bargain. To order fresh foie gras from the Gonzalezes ($38.50 a pound for grade A), call (800) 427-4559.

Handling and Cooking: Keep foie gras chilled until you use it - up to a week sealed in its wrapper. (Foie gras gets soft and difficult to handle when warm.)

To saute foie gras, you need a hot pan and good ventilation, because the rendered fat spatters and smokes. Pour off the fat as it accumulates and use oven mitts to protect your hands.

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