Jill’s Chicken Liver Mousse
Pairs Well With
Ingredients
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 cup sweet onion, such as Vidalia, finely chopped
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 1 pound chicken livers, connective tissue removed (Try Rosie’s Organic or Mary’s, if you can find them)
- 2 tablespoons rendered duck fat — you can use bacon fat or schmaltz (chicken fat), if you prefer
- 1 tablespoon (or so) fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1/3 cup Merry Edwards Pinot Noir
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- ½ stick butter, cubed
- ½ cup whipping cream
Preparation
Hard-boil the egg and place in the refrigerator to cool. Prepare chicken livers by removing as much of the connective tissue as possible, leaving just the lobes of meat. Heat fat of your choice in a medium sauté pan on medium-high heat. When the fat is just below the smoke point, add the onion and garlic and cook until it’s slightly carmelized. Add livers to pan. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently, and add wine, thyme, salt and pepper. Cook until livers are done to medium, about 4 more minutes or so. Do not overcook. Set them aside to cool.
Place the liver mixture in a food processor and add the yolk of the boiled egg, the butter and the cream. Blend until all the ingredients are combined and the mix is creamy and smooth, and then run it through a fine-mesh sieve. Place the mousse into a terrine or small crock and put plastic wrap directly on the top of the mixture. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight. When ready to serve, garnish with a sprig or two of thyme or parsley for color.
Serve with crostini, slices of crusty baguette or your favorite crackers.
