CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE with sweet and sour shallots and dried cherries.

  • 1 pound chicken livers
  • 2 shallots, diced
  • 1/4 cup chopped thyme
  • cooking oil (I use a canola olive oil blend)
  • 1/3 to 1/2 cup unsalted butter, COLD and cut into small cubes.  plus 2 tablespoons for cooking the livers
  • 1/4 cup brandy
  • 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • salt and pepper to taste

Drain and wash chicken livers.  pat dry.  salt and pepper livers.

Get a sautee pan very hot on the stove , add oil.  bring oil up to a smoking point.  add chicken livers, getting color on all sides.  add shallots and thyme and 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan..  cook for a short time until butter melts, shallots and thyme are slightly soft and chicken livers should be medium rare. remove from pan and place evenly on a sheet pan so that they continue to cook evenly as they cool.  Do not overcook the chicken livers, as the flavor and appearance is much nicer when the livers are pink inside (medium…which is what they will be by the end of the process).

While the chicken livers are hot (Very important) place them in a food processor bowl with the nutmeg and blend until smooth.  While the processor is still running, add the brandy.  Then add the butter in small pieces SLOWLY.  You are emulsifying the mixture to give it the mousse texture so it is important that the butter gets blended in cold and slowly.  Add 1/3 cup of the butter and check to taste.  If you want a subtler, creamier texture, re-run the processor and add the remaining butter.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer.  Place in a ramekin and refrigerate until set (about 2 hours).  You can also line a timbale or terrine mold with plastic wrap, fill, refrigerate, and then un-mold for a different presentation.

SWEET AND SOUR SHALLOTS WITH DRIED CHERRIES

  • 10 shallots peeled and sliced thinly
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1/3 Cup sherry or balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup honey
  • 2 tablespoons chopped thyme
  • 1/3 cup dried cherries

Melt butter in a sautee pan and add shallots.  Cook slowly until they are soft and start to brown.  Add vinegar and reduce until almost dry.  Add honey and thyme and simmer.  The honey will bubble up, so have room in the pan for it to do so.  Cook until the honey also thickens and has a chance to caramelize a little and get a nutty flavor (about 15-20 minutes).  Add cherries in the last 5 minutes of cooking. remove from heat and cool.

Serve the chicken liver mousse with toast points or crostini.  I like toasted challah or brioche for a softer more elegant presentation, or toasted stirato or even rye for a more rustic, country feel.  You can present the mousse on a buffet with the shallots and toast on the side, or spread on the toast and topped with the shallots.  Finally, if you don´t have time to make the shallots you can top with a marmalade or chutney of some sort.  At Salt we made a fig, balsamic and almond compote that goes well with the mousse. At Thelma on Clinton we topped it with a champagne gelee.