Chicken Liver Mousse
Submitted by bassho
Chicken livers cooked in schmaltz with shallots, mushrooms, and warm spices, then pureed with cognac into a silky, spreadable mousse. A French-inspired appetizer with serious sophistication.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
35 minREADY
45 minThere’s a reason chicken liver mousse shows up on the menu at every serious French bistro. When done right, it’s pure velvet.
This version builds layers of flavor by cooking the livers in rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) with shallots and mushrooms, seasoned with a surprisingly complex blend of bay leaf, fresh thyme, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne.
A splash of cognac goes in before everything hits the food processor and gets blended into a mousse so smooth you could spread it with a butter knife.
Serve it slightly cool on crusty bread or crackers with a few cornichons on the side.
Chef Tips
- Trim the livers carefully, removing any green-tinged spots or tough connective tissue for the cleanest flavor
- Cook the mushrooms until their liquid fully evaporates so the mousse isn’t watery
- Blend longer than you think necessary; the goal is an absolutely seamless, silky texture with no graininess
- Schmaltz is the traditional fat here and adds incredible depth, but butter works as a substitute in a pinch
- The mousse tastes best after resting in the fridge for a few hours, then brought back to just below room temperature before serving
Ingredients
Directions
Pick over the livers to remove and discard tough connecting tissue or blemished portions.
Put liver in a bowl and add salt, pepper, bay leaf, thyme, allspice, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne.
Heat chicken fat in heavy skillet over medium heat, add shallots and mushrooms.
Cook stirring, until mushrooms give up their liquid.
Cook until most of this liquid evaporates. Add livers and seasonings.
Cook, stirring occasionally about 10 minutes.
Pour and scrape mixture into food processor or blender.
Add cognac and blend to a fine puree.
Spoon and scrape mixture into a small serving dish.
Smooth the top. Serve slightly cooler than room temperature.
Comments
