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Our fancified preparation of hen liver mousse is a refined starter that you’re going to be proud to serve at your subsequent banquet. Hen liver is probably not the very first thing you consider when somebody asks you to make an appetizer for a sublime soirée, however we’re right here to vary that false impression. In line with Ksenia Prints of On the Immigrant’s Desk, liver mousse of all animals is part of the traditional canon of French delicacies. It is so in style that Julia Baby included it in her seminal ebook, Mastering the Artwork of French Cooking. It is a essential a part of constructing a charcuterie board and is superb on toast.

“What turns most individuals off from liver is the metallic style, however it’s simple to eliminate,” says Prints, who grew up consuming chopped liver. A easy soak of liver in buttermilk or milk will assist clear up that drawback,. From there, you are effectively in your approach to mastering an indelible a part of traditional French cooking. We integrated the woodsy taste profile of gin into our liver and paired it with black currant jelly for an appetizer that is lovely and clean.

To make the hen liver mousse itself, you will want softened unsalted butter, shallots, crushed juniper berries, recent thyme, cleaned and deveined hen livers, salt, white pepper, and heavy cream. For the black currant glaze, you will want black currant jelly, gin, and recent thyme leaves. For serving, refill on darkish rye bread, sliced into batons, together with some olive oil and flaky sea salt for seasoning. Lastly, for the true French nation expertise, do not forget a facet of cornichons.

Make the liver base: Warmth 2 tablespoons butter in a saute pan over medium warmth.

Add the shallots and cook dinner till golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Add the juniper berries and thyme sprigs and cook dinner for 1 minute, till aromatic.

Improve the warmth to medium-high and add the hen livers, cooking till the outside is browned however the inside stays pink, roughly 2–3 minutes per facet.

Take away the thyme sprigs and switch the combination to a meals processor.

Add the remaining butter, salt, and white pepper. Course of till clean, about 3 minutes, and put aside to chill.

As soon as cooled to room temperature, fold within the whipped cream. Style and regulate for seasoning.

Switch to a serving vessel, leaving ¼-inch area on the high. Clean the floor with an offset spatula and chill for at least 4 hours.

For the glaze, heat the black currant jelly with the gin and thyme leaves in a small saucepan till simply melted.

Cool the glaze barely earlier than pouring it over the chilled mousse, and return to the fridge for half-hour to set.

Preheat the oven to 400 F.

Brush the rye bread slices with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt.

Toast till golden, about 5 minutes.

Serve the mousse with toasted bread and, if desired, cornichons.

With this hen liver mousse recipe, we tried to take traditional paté and construct on it with woodsy flavors. However, you may simply take this mousse to no matter route your coronary heart fancies.

For a conventional French take, substitute the gin with Armagnac, cognac, or brandy. If you wish to keep away from alcohol, add a contact of white grape or pomegranate juice as an alternative. Omit the juniper berries and follow thyme, or sub the white peppercorns for pink so as to add an sudden, fragrant, and floral contact. You can too attempt making the mousse with hen or duck fats instead of butter.

The black currant jelly could be substituted with some other fruit protect you want. Our favorites embrace fig jam with port within the mousse, bitter cherry preserves, which pair fantastically with port, or a mixture of raspberry jelly and cognac. After all, it’s also possible to take away the jelly altogether.

One of the best ways to serve hen liver mousse is as a part of a charcuterie unfold. Will probably be nice as a part of a Valentine’s Day charcuterie board, for instance. Do not skip the toast, even in case you’re making it for a crowd. Grissini is one other easy however good choice. 

, grainy mustard is a should for a spicy counterpart to hen liver mousse. You can too place additional black currant jelly on the board to echo the mousse’s topping. We love pairing it with cornichons, although you may attempt different do-it-yourself pickles as an alternative  — contemplate pickled strawberries, for instance. 

To interrupt the tender texture, embrace loads of dried sausages in your board. Cheeses like Manchego with membrillo are nice, as are smoked salmon and lox. Contemporary fruit, akin to apple slices, pink grapes, figs, and blackberries, are additionally nice counterpoints. For wine pairings, acidic whites like Sancerre or a glowing white wine will probably be lovely, as will a great Pinot Noir or cider.