Mousse of Poultry Liver with Young Ginger
Submitted by wanda662
Chicken liver mousse baked in ramekins with shallots, thyme, garlic, and cream, unmolded and served with fresh tomato sauce and herb garnishes. A French restaurant classic, home-kitchen achievable.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
15 minCOOK
45 minREADY
1 hrsProper French restaurant cooking, the kind that takes over an appetizer course in a white-tablecloth Michelin spot. Chicken livers get ground with onion, shallot, garlic, thyme, parsley, and basil, then enriched with eggs, lard, breadcrumbs, and cream before being strained silky-smooth through a chinois and baked in buttered ramekins.
The short 8-minute bake at 450°F (230°C) in a water bath (bain-marie) is what gives the mousse its custardy-firm set without any cracking or graininess. High heat with the water steam keeps the texture gentle and uniform.
The fresh tomato sauce is the counterpoint. Ten ripe tomatoes simmer with onion, garlic, and bouquet garni for half an hour, then get blended briefly and strained. Its acidity and brightness cut through the richness of the mousse like nothing else could.
Unmolded onto plates and topped with chopped chives, grated carrot, chervil, and watercress, this looks like something that should cost $45 at a restaurant. Makes 8 servings as a starter course.
Chef Tips
- Trim any green bits off the chicken livers before grinding. Those spots carry bile and will turn the mousse bitter.
- Strain through a fine chinois or double-layer cheesecloth. This removes any sinew or tough bits and gives the mousse its signature smooth mouthfeel.
- Watch the bain-marie closely. Dry water pan = cracked mousse. Check at 5 minutes and add more boiling water if needed.
- Don’t over-blend the tomato sauce. A few extra pulses turn it pink and foamy, not red and glossy. Blend just until smooth.
Variations
- Use duck livers instead of chicken for a deeper, more gamey flavor.
- Add 2 tablespoons of Cognac or Madeira to the mousse mixture for classic French depth.
- Serve with a fig or onion jam instead of tomato sauce for a sweet-savory contrast.
Ingredients
Directions
- Amount may vary according to the consistency.
** Bouquet Garni is a cheesecloth bag with parsley, bay leaf, oregano, thyme, and rosemary inside.
*** Amount may vary according to the amount of juice in the tomatoes.
Mousse:
Grind the onion and livers in a food grinder.
Add shallots, thyme, garlic, parsley, and basil and process.
Place the processed mixture into a bowl, add eggs, lard, bread crumbs (epice parisienne or cayenne pepper is optional), salt and pepper.
Mix well.
Put the mixture into a processor and blend it until smooth.
Add about 1 cup of cream while blending.
Pour back into a bowl and adjust the seasoning: (Note: mixture should be more liquid than thick -- add more cream if needed.) Strain through chinois.
Pour mixture into chilled, well-buttered ramekins.
Put a layer of water in a sauté pan and place the ramekins on the pan.
Cover the ramekins with buttered parchment paper, (butter side down) then bring to a boil.
Place the boiling ramekins in a 450 F oven for 8 minutes.
Remove parchment and let set for 2 minutes.
Tomato Sauce:
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan.
Add onion and garlic and cook until transparent.
Add bouquet garni.
Sprinkle onion mixture with flour to thicken sauce.
Add tomatoes immediately and mix well.
Reduce the heat.
Add 1 cup of water and cook 20 to 30 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Remove bouquet garni and put mixture into a food processor and blend thoroughly (do not blend too much or color will change).
Strain through chinois.
You may add 1 tablespoon of butter for extra flavor if desired.
Assembly:
Unmold the mousse onto a serving plate.
Spoon tomato sauce over the mousse.
Top with chopped chives, carrots, chervil, and watercress.
Garnish with bay leaf.
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