Spiced Chicken Liver Mousse Recipes

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

Steps:

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Cook shallot in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully add Cognac (use caution; if Cognac ignites, shake skillet), then boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and add livers and yolks, then purée until smooth. Add milk, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice and blend until combined. Pour into crock, skimming off any foam.
• Put crock in a larger baking pan and bake in a water bath until mousse is just set and a small sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.
• Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.
• Arrange bay leaves decoratively on top of mousse. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over mousse to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of saucepan.
• Chill mousse completely, uncovered, about 4 hours. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before serving.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a large saute pan over low heat, melt the butter and cook onion, apple, and thyme, covered, until apples soften. Remove lid and increase heat to medium add the livers and cook until firm and still pink inside. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Add the pepper, salt, and brandy and puree in a food processor; then chill, covered. Meanwhile whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Fold into cooled, pureed liver mixture. Serve chilled.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE MIRABELLE

Steps:

• Clean the chicken livers of any bile residue, cut out the nerves, and season them with salt and pepper and the quatre epices.
• Put the grapeseed oil into a large hot skillet and add the livers, sage, shallots, garlic and thyme. Toss the mixture well and cook over moderately high heat until the livers are medium rare. Add the Cognac, flambe the mixture, tossing it well, and transfer it to a sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.
• Add the port and marsala wines to the skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring well. Reduce the liquid by three-fourths and transfer to a small bowl.
• When the livers are cold, transfer them to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the reduced wine and softened butter and pulse to combine. Taste for seasonings.
• Force the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, transfer it to a small terrine lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. The mousse is ready to serve when it is fully chilled.
• Serve the mousse with cornichons and toasted sliced French bread. The mousse makes a perfect hor d'oeuvre for cocktails.
• In a spice or coffee grinder, grind the spices to a powder and store it in a small sealed container.

CHICKEN-LIVER MOUSSE

Steps:

• Clean and dry the canning jars.
• Trim the sinew and any green patches from the livers. Rinse and dry them on paper towels.
• In a 12-inch skillet, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil until very hot. Sauté the livers, letting them caramelize on one side before flipping them. (If the pan threatens to smoke or blacken, immediately lower the heat; otherwise the juices will become too bitter to use.) When the livers are well browned but medium-rare inside, about 4 minutes, turn off the heat and transfer them to the bowl of a food processor. Season with 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1?8 teaspoon pepper.
• Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan and sweat the onions, shallots, garlic, thyme and star anise over low heat, covered, until soft, about 10 minutes. Raise the heat and deglaze the pan with the vinegar and Cognac or rum until evaporated. Discard the star anise and transfer the onion mixture to the food processor.
• While the onions are still warm, purée with the livers and butter until smooth. Taste, adding more salt, pepper or vinegar as needed.
• Transfer to the jars. Wipe the inside lip of the jars clean with a damp cloth. Slowly pour enough olive oil over the mousse to just cover. Screw on the lids. Let cool before moving the jars to the refrigerator, where they can keep for a few days. Serve chilled with toasted, sliced bread and sweet-and-sour cherries.

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

Steps:

• Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and thyme and cook until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes. Add the chicken livers and cook until firm but still pink inside, about 3 minutes.
• Remove the skillet from heat, add the salt, pepper and brandy, and deglaze the pan by stirring and scraping up the brown bits from the bottom; cool.
• Remove the thyme stems from the skillet, transfer the chicken liver mixture to a blender, puree until smooth and transfer to a bowl.
• In another medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer to whip the heavy cream to medium peaks. Fold the whipped cream into the liver mixture, taste and adjust the seasoning. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.
• Serve the mousse with toasted baguette slices and garnish with pickled onions.