Chicken Liver Mousse
This silky, make-ahead chicken liver pâté — seasoned with bay leaf, thyme, and peppercorns and served on crispy toasts with cornichons — is the kind of effortless, elegant appetizer that makes any gathering feel like a celebration.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces chicken fat
- 8 ounces chicken livers
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 2 teaspoons whole black peppercorns
- 1 large shallot, thinly sliced, about ⅓ cup
- 2 large cloves garlic, crushed
- Fine sea salt
- 1 tablespoon Cognac
- Sliced cornichons, optional
- Croutons, thinly sliced baguette or crackers
Method
- Using a sharp knife, cut the chicken skin and fat into ½-inch dice. Trim any fat and discolored areas from the livers.
- In a spice grinder, combine the bay leaf, thyme leaves and peppercorns and grind until a fine powder.
- In a medium skillet melt the chicken skin and fat slowly over medium-low heat until the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, garlic, the herb-pepper mixture and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring, until softened, 1 minute. Add the livers and fry, gently, until they darken in color but are still pink in the center, about 2 minutes on each side. Turn off the heat and let sit for at least 5 minutes before pouring into the cup of a blender and blend until completely pureed.
- Transfer the mousse to a bowl and stir in the Cognac. Taste and adjust the seasoning, it should taste a little over seasoned while warm so that the flavors come through when it’s cold. Chill in the refrigerator or freezer, stirring occasionally until smooth and cold. Transfer the cold mousse to ramekins or small dishes, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or double wrap and freeze for up to 2 months.
- Serve lightly chilled with sliced cornichons and croutons, thinly sliced baguette or crackers.
Notes
An easy, make-ahead, party appetizer. This savory pâté or mousse can be served on little toasts garnished with thin slices of cornichon and served with a glass of wine or Champagne. Make sure you grind the bay leaf, thyme and peppercorns to a fine powder in a spice grinder before adding to the mixture.
This recipe also works well with duck fat and liver or a combination of chicken and duck. You can also substitute herbes de Provence or Italian seasoning for the dried thyme. Serve lightly chilled.
