Porto infused liver mousse is a very easy recipe. It is also very quick. Don’t judge by the amount of photos ;) I went a bit nuts and also wanted to show you all the steps in details so you can see exactly what it should look like. No risk to overcook the livers anymore!
Start by preparing all the ingredients, weighing them so you can quickly tip them at the right moment. Use 1 big échalote or two small ones. If you cannot find échalotes use a small red onion or any onion.
This is an Hannibal-Lecterish photo… They are beautiful and fresh livers. You can use chicken livers or duck livers or both. If you cannot find them easily at your local supermarket, ask you butcher. He usually will happily put some aside for you.
I use herbs for flavour. This is lemon thyme but use any thyme, and chilli oregano but also use any fresh oregano. I put half in the pan when searing the livers and half when mixing everything in my Magimix Cook Expert food processor.
Make sure that the livers are well drained in a colander.
Use goose or duck fat and heat it until it just starts to smoke. It makes the mousse much more flavoursome when the livers are well seared.
Tip drained livers in the smoking goose or duck fat. Drop 2 bay leaves. DO NOT STIR until the livers have started to cook. They need to get firmer before your move them or you make a mash…. When they start to turn pale pink, let them get a nice and golden colour. Using a pair of tongs delicately turn them.
Add échalotes only when the livers are seared.
You need to cook the livers until they are cooked but still pink inside. It is a bit hard when you don’t know what it looks like when cooked so I thought I’d take some close-ups no matter how weird they look :) Above, the liver is undercooked. It needs to be heated a bit longer. It shouldn’t look gooey but firm.
Above, the liver is cooked to perfection. Well seared, golden, still pink inside but firm, it needs to be dryer than the previous picture. Here it’s pink but cooked. At this stage, take the bay leaves out.
Tip all the content of the frying pan in a food processor, including the goose fat, absolutely everything (except the bay leaf as I said in the previous step).
Add cream, port, cognac, salt, pepper. If using the Magimix Cook Expert, use the larger plastic bowl. Select the “Robot” mode.
Mix until completely liquid. If you have remaining bits, you can filter it through a sieve.
Pour the very liquid mousse into clean jars.
Place plastic wrap in direct contact with the liquid to limit oxidation.
This recipe yields 3 Bonne Maman jam jars. They need to remain 2 days in the fridge to get to full flavour. They last for 6 days from the date of making.
Serve with a good bread (this one is my own recipe which will be published very soon) and a nice glass of wine.
Bon appétit !
- 400g duck or chicken livers or both
- 40g duck or goose fat
- 3 twigs of thyme (small not 3 branches, 3 parts of a branch)
- 1 twig of oregano (see picture)
- 2 small échalotes or 1 big
- Salt & pepper
- 150ml port
- 1 cap of Armagnac or Cognac
- 200g butter
- 70g thick cream
- Drain livers in a colander.
- Heat duck or goose fat in a frying pan on high.
- While it's heating, peel and cut echalote in cubes.
- When the fat just starts to smoke, tip livers (not échalotes). DO NOT STIR until they are seared to keep them intact. When well seared, tip echalotes & half the herbs. Using a spatula or even better tongs, delicately turn each liver over keep on cooking at medium temperature. They need to cook well but the inside has to remain pink and firm (see photos on the blog post). Cut one liver to check, if soggy.
- When cooked but pink and firm inside, take the bay leaves out. Pour everything in the food processor, goose fat and herbs.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Mix until completely liquid. If any piece is still intact, mix again or filter through a sieve.
- Pour in clean glass jars (such as Bonne Maman jam jars).
- Cover with plastic wrap making sure the wrap is touching the liquid.
- Refrigerate for at least 24h or even 2 days for a better, infused taste before eating. It lasts for 6 days in a well covered jar with plastic wrap and a lid.
Leave a Reply