Simple Chicken Liver Mousse
This is a very simple recipe for chicken liver mousse that tastes just as good as the stuff you get at fancy restaurants. The ingredient list is short and the hands-on cooking time is no more than 15 to 20 minutes. If you are entertaining guests, this makes a very impressive snack when served with grilled (or toasted) bread and pickles.
Many recipes for chicken liver mousse can get quite complicated. They often involve advanced cooking techniques and special ingredients. While these recipes can yield great results, I think this method is just as delicious. This is the only way I make chicken liver mousse at home.
The method is quite simple. Chicken livers are seasoned with black pepper and seared in brown butter. Shallots and rosemary are then added to the pan and sauteed with the livers. The pan is deglazed with some imperial stout and then everything is transferred to a blender along with some cold butter and salt. Everything is blended together and the mousse is allowed to cool overnight. Done.
While I really like this combination of flavors, you could substitute the imperial stout for any type of alcohol you like. Bourbon, port, cognac….. all would work well in this recipe. The rosemary could also be substituted for something like thyme, but I really like the way the rosemary works in this recipe.
This recipe yields about 3 cups of chicken liver mousse and will easily serve 10-12 people. Feel free to cut the recipe in half if necessary. The mousse will need to cool down all the way in the refrigerator before serving so I suggest making this mousse the day before eating.
Simple Chicken Liver Mousse
Ingredients
- 450 grams fresh chicken livers (1 pint livers)
- 225 grams cold butter, cut into cubes, plus 15 additional grams for searing the livers (1/2 pound plus 1 Tbsp)
- 80 grams thinly sliced shallot (2 medium shallots)
- 3 grams picked rosemary leaves (2 Tbsp leaves)
- 50 grams Imperial stout such as Kentucky Breakfast Stout or Old Rasputin (2oz)
- 10 grams salt (if using diamond crystal kosher salt, you can measure out 1 Tbsp. Other types of salt will need to be weighed -10 grams- or seasoned to taste because they vary in density)
- fresh ground black pepper
To serve:
- bread, pickles, crackers….etc.
Instructions
- Give the livers a quick rinse and soak in cold water for 5 minutes. Measure and cut the other ingredients while the livers are soaking.
- Remove the livers from the water and pat them VERY DRY with paper towels. Excess water will keep the livers from searing. Season the livers with plenty of fresh black pepper but NO SALT.
- Place a large saute pan on the burner with the 15 grams of butter (1TBSP). Turn the heat up to high.
- Once the butter has melted and the solids have browned, lay the chicken livers in the pan in a single layer. (I am using a strong burner in this photo, if your burner is not very strong, use a larger saute pan and make sure there is space between the livers to keep them from steaming)
- Sear the livers over high heat on the first side until they start to lightly brown, about 1-2 minutes.
- Once the livers have browned on the first side, flip the livers, sear on the other side for 30 seconds and then add the shallots and rosemary to the pan. If there is some liquid at the bottom of the pan at this point, dont worry.
- Keep the heat on high(or medium-high) and sautee the livers with the shallots and rosemary, tossing occasionally, until the shallots have started to soften, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stout to the pan and allow it to cook down for 1-2 minutes. At this point the shallots should be softened, there should be some liquid at the bottom of the pan and the livers should be cooked through. Many recipes call for the livers to be left a bit undercooked. I do not find this necessary.
- Transfer the contents of the pan to the blender along with the 225 grams cold butter and 10 grams salt.
- Blend everything well. the mousse should be smooth and have the consistency of a milkshake (gross comparison, I know). The mousse will firm up when it cools in the refigerator.
- Pour the mouse out into containers of your choice. Small mason jars or plastic containers work well.
- Press a layer of plastic wrap directly on the exposed surface of the mousse and allow it to cool completely before serving, at least 6 hours but overnight would be best. The plastic wrap will keep the top layer of mousse from oxidizing in the fridge. Don't put a lid on the container until the mousse has cooled.
- Liver mousse is ready to serve after cooling. Mousse will keep in the fridge for 4-5 days.
