| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 1 hr 35 min |
| Prep: | 20 min |
| Inactive: | 1 hr |
| Cook: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 20 people as a hors d’oeuvre |
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 20 servings |
| Calories | 134 |
| Total Fat | 11 g |
| Saturated Fat | 6 g |
| Carbohydrates | 3 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 1 g |
| Protein | 4 g |
| Cholesterol | 103 mg |
| Sodium | 111 mg |
Reviews
To mulberryshoots
Only use one teaspoon spice!
Only use one teaspoon spice!
Very good pate. Have made it as written (except I don’t bother with the sieve). Changed it up last couple of times by cutting the butter in half. Texture comes out a bit different but still delicious so I keep making the modified version.
This was delicious….So easy! I love pate and because the duck variety is sorta outlawed in California, I try to find chicken recipes. Really loved this.
I used the Quatra Epices spice on some crab cakes I made. (I add lobster and shrimp) Boy was that good.
Thanks Ina….You inspire me…!
I used the Quatra Epices spice on some crab cakes I made. (I add lobster and shrimp) Boy was that good.
Thanks Ina….You inspire me…!
is the marsala wine to be used here dry or sweet?
This is the best Chicken Liver Mousse I’ve ever tasted and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make at home! It takes time to make but not difficult at all. I’m in love with this pate!
I was so happy to find this recipe after writing down generalities from watching the show itself. The chef’s accent threw me a bit and I would have missed a couple of crucial ingredients for the flavor profile. As soon as I get to town to shop, this is being made for a graduation party (not high school, a culinarty student!. I’m giving it 5 stars after reading those reviews from people that followed the recipe. Thank you Ina. I’ve always enjoyed your show and you.
Note to mulberryshoots…the recipe for the mousse calls for ONE TEASPOON of the spice mix. The recipe for the spice mix makes several tablespoons, and the idea is that you have more for later use.
I watched Chef Guy Reuge cook this on “Barefoot Contessa” yesterday. He cooked very quickly, as though not really wanting to give away his choice recipe. The disclaimer at the bottom of the recipe about the recipe having been derived from one for a large number of people is right on. The quantities for the four spices to grind up in your spice grinder was, I believe, intended for a much bigger batch than just one pound of chicken livers. It smelled marvelous but I only put in half of what I had–and it was overpowering for the dish. Three hours after chilling in the fridge . . . the spices make this dish inedible. The color is a dark icky brown and the seasoning of the ground cloves etc. is overpowering and I only used half what was called for. I don’t think the spice recipe is meant for 1 pound of chicken livers. In any case, try it at your peril; this batch is getting thrown out!
I made this for a dinner party with some serious foodies, and it was a huge hit. One person said it was better than their chef friend’s chicken liver mousse. Very good and not difficult at all – just takes time. I will certainly make this again.
I made this recipe I did not have the tehme that they mentioned on the video but I had a strainer so I used that to smooth it out. I loved the recipe the flavors worked perfectly together. The only one not fond of it was my husband but my kids loved it. My husband was raised to eat burgs and fries and hotdogs so. Anyways, thanks for this recipe.