Chicken Liver Mousse
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No, this was not at a hawker cart in Singapore, nor was it on the side of the road in Manila, it was not in the bush in Zanzibar and certainly not on the beach in Goa. This was in Miami, at “Chez Bella”.
All the ingredients for 4 portions came to about $ 4.00, which, yes, I carefully and meticulously calculated it, comes to about a buck a portion. 🙂
In all my years living in America, I have realized that the majority of Americans say they don’t like liver or any other dish prepared with offal. However, serve them a slice of “Foie Gras” in a fancy restaurant where they are too shy to ask what they are being served, and all of a sudden you get all ahhh’s and ohhh’s. And it’s usually the same with chicken liver mousse, terrine or pate. Serve it on little canapes, put a cherry or grape on top and all of a sudden it becomes great.
Speaking of chicken liver mousse and parfait. Sadly, most of what’s being served in restaurants these days can at best be described as utter garbage. I know, because I love chicken liver mousse and have tried it a hundred times, in fact, I almost always order it if I come across it on a menu. Low-quality liver, too many distracting ingredients, overseasoned, underseasoned, grainy, broken, too long in the fridge, off-putting color, you name it.
So then, for those of my readers who share the love with me, I give you a recipe which is pretty much foolproof, as long as you use top quality liver.
Of course, you can use this recipe to make any other liver mousse. Pork liver, veal liver, duck liver, game liver. You can also, if you must, add a few additional flavors, as long as you take it easy and don’t overpower the fine taste of the liver. Armaniac, calvados, grand marnier, cognac, diced apples, garlic, herbs, sauteed shallots, orange essence, etc. You can even call it a parfait if you want to, since this recipe provides a mousse so fine, it appears to have been strained through a fine hair sieve.
All in all, a spectacular tasty dish, easy to prepare, cheap economical, and definitely better than most of the stuff you can buy ready-made or in most restaurants.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Liver on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
This amount of mousse serves 4 main courses or 8-12 snacks/appetizers
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Chicken Liver Mousse
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Chicken Liver Mousse
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Chicken Liver Mousse
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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- 18 oz thoroughly cleaned, VERY fresh liver, 3/4 cup WARM half&half, 3/4 lb cold butter
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- saute liver in 1 tblsp clarified butter until medium well
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- at once, put into a blender together with the half&half, blend at medium speed for 1 minute, keep running at medium speed while adding 1 tsp sweet paprika and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, add the butter piece by piece until very smooth; check/adjust seasoning
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- done…..
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- fill mousse into a container, cover airtight, chill in refrigerator overnight
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- voilà………
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- laugen broetchen (pretzel rolls)
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- slice pretzel rolls or other bread of your choice, brush lightly with garlic paste (or plain butter if you prefer), toast one side only until golden; serve with condiments of your choice
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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- Chicken Liver Mousse
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ChefsOpinion 
Love this dish!!!
Sent from my iPhone
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Chacha,
you should try this recipe, it rocks 🙂
Cheers !
Hans.
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Although as a poor, benighted Briton I would appreciate a translation of the term “half and half” I must agree, entirely, with your views about offal, which I have always liked and found nutritious.
I am fortunate enough to be a member of a restaurant club in Litchfield Street in London (just off the Charing Cross Road), called “Le Beaujolais”, which was the Free French officers’ Club during WWII and which has remained in French hands, ever since. Upstairs is a wine bar which serves most of the food available in the members’ restaurant, including thirty French cheeses a day – probably the best cheese board in London.
However, the owner of Le Beaujolais, Jean-Yves Darcel, trained as a charcutier before he trained as a chef, and there is a fresh terrine available, every day as part of their daily menu of good, plain cooking – an approach which takes much beating.
Americans just don’t know (again) what they are missing!
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I’m sure this is very tasty and I would enjoy eating it, but at first glance I thought it was a scoop of chocolate. As chocolate, it looks even better (of course it wouldn’t go with the rest of the meal).
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Well, Anneli,
there is chocolate ice cream with chili………..:-)
Cheers !
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Hi Peter,
here we go:
https://www.quora.com/Whats-the-UK-equivalent-of-Half-and-Half-cream-in-the-US
Cheers !
Hans.
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BTW –
if your cardiologist gives you the green light, you can use full cream 🙂
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As always, thank you very much, Hans. I wondered if this was the way through. I am going to Le Beaujolais tomorrow and if I get a chance I will ask. I suspect that they may use some more antiquated methods (Jean-Yves is most particular about the part of an animal from which he uses the fat) but, as always, I look to expand my knowledge. One day, I hope to be able to make one of his pheasant, walnut and calvados terrines (he has an endless variety, all served with cornichons, the freshest bread and French butter…….
By the way, I have no financial interest in the establishment
With best wishes,
Peter
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