CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE MIRABELLE

Chicken Liver Mousse Mirabelle image

Provided by Food Network

Time 1h35m

Yield 20 people as a hors d'oeuvre

Number Of Ingredients 16

1 pound chicken livers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Quatre Epices (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
4 sage leaves
2 shallots, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Cognac
1/3 cup port
1/3 cup marsala
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves

Steps:

Clean the chicken livers of any bile residue, cut out the nerves, and season them with salt and pepper and the quatre epices.
Put the grapeseed oil into a large hot skillet and add the livers, sage, shallots, garlic and thyme. Toss the mixture well and cook over moderately high heat until the livers are medium rare. Add the Cognac, flambe the mixture, tossing it well, and transfer it to a sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.
Add the port and marsala wines to the skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring well. Reduce the liquid by three-fourths and transfer to a small bowl.
When the livers are cold, transfer them to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the reduced wine and softened butter and pulse to combine. Taste for seasonings.
Force the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, transfer it to a small terrine lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. The mousse is ready to serve when it is fully chilled.
Serve the mousse with cornichons and toasted sliced French bread. The mousse makes a perfect hor d'oeuvre for cocktails.
In a spice or coffee grinder, grind the spices to a powder and store it in a small sealed container.