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chicken liver mousse with cider jelly
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Chicken Liver Mousse With Cider Jelly

A rich & creamy chicken liver mousse, topped with a fruity cider jelly. This luxurious mousse is super easy to make & goes great with warm toast.
Prep Time45 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Starter
Cuisine: French
Servings: 10 People
Author: Ben Racey

Equipment

  • Large Frying Pan
  • Jug Blender/Food Processor
  • Sieve
  • Juicer
  • Microplane/Grater

Ingredients

Chicken Liver Mousse

  • 1 tbsp Vegetable Oil
  • 400 g Chicken Livers
  • 2 Echalion Shallots (Peeled & Finely Diced)
  • 20 g Unsalted Butter
  • A Pinch Of Cayenne Pepper
  • 1 tsp Thyme (Finely Chopped)
  • 60 ml Sherry (Or Brandy)

To Blend

  • 50 g Unsalted Butter (At Room Temperature)
  • 100 g Mascarpone (Cold)
  • Zest Of 1 Lemon
  • 100 g Double Cream (Cold)
  • 2 tsp Lemon Juice

Cider Jelly

  • 150 g Cider (See Notes)
  • 3 Sprigs Of Thyme
  • 6 Black Peppercorns
  • 2 Sheets Of Gelatine

Instructions

Chicken Liver Mousse

  • First, cut each chicken liver in half then trim off any sinew, blood vessels or discoloured bits.
  • Place the chicken livers into a bowl, give them a good rinse under cold water then drain well. Transfer the livers to a plate then pat dry with kitchen paper.
    Rinsing the livers removes any blood, which can make the mousse taste bitter.
  • Set a large frying pan over a medium-high heat then add in the tbsp of veg oil & leave to heat up for a minute or two. Once hot, add in the livers then cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, until well seared but still pink inside (like a medium steak!). Transfer the cooked livers to a plate then set to one side, to cool.
  • Turn the heat down to medium then add the butter into the pan. Once melted, add in the diced shallots, the cayenne pepper & pinch of salt then cook, stirring regularly until soft & caramelised. This will take 5-10 minutes.
  • Next, stir the chopped thyme into the shallots then deglaze the pan with the sherry, making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the brown bits. Keep cooking, until all of the alcohol has been evaporated then transfer the shallots to a bowl & leave to cool.
  • Once the livers & shallots have cooled, add both into a jug blender then turn on. Blend for a minute, to break the livers up then add the soft butter in a small amount at a time (with the blender running still). Make sure to let each piece of butter incorporate fully before adding in more.
    If there's any resting juices from the livers, don't add them in as they can affect the texture of the mousse.
  • Add the mascarpone & lemon zest into the blender then continue blending until incorporated.
    Make sure to scrape the sides of the blender down regularly.
  • Next, gradually pour the double cream into the livers (with the blender running). Once all the cream has been added, continue blending for a couple of minutes, until the mousse is smooth.
    It's important to add the cream in slowly so that the mousse emulsifies properly. If it looks split, keep blending to bring everything together.
  • Add the lemon juice to the mousse then season well with salt & pepper. Blend again, to combine then give the mousse a taste to check the seasoning, adding more salt & pepper as needed.
    The mousse can take quite a lot of seasoning!
  • Pass the mousse through a sieve, into a serving dish, cover the surface with a piece of clingfilm (this stops the mousse from oxidising) then refrigerate until set. This will take at least a couple of hours.

Cider Jelly

  • Add the cider, thyme & peppercorns into a small saucepan then set over a low heat, to warm gently. Soak the gelatine leaves in a bowl of cold water in the meantime.
  • Once warm, take the cider off the heat. Squeeze the water out of the gelatine then stir into the cider, to dissolve.
  • Pass the cider through a sieve, into a jug then leave to cool, stirring occasionally.
  • Next, pour the jelly over the cold mousse (make sure to take the clingfilm off!) then leave to set in the fridge before serving. This will take a couple of hours.

Notes

1. To Cook On An Aga - Use the boiling plate to cook the livers & the simmering plate for the shallots/deglazing the pan and to warm the cider up for the jelly.
2. Chicken Livers - To give our mousse the best flavour, it's key to trim any blood vessels & sinew from the livers and also, to rinse them under water. If you rinse the liver in your sink, make sure to give it a good wash afterwards!
3. Emulsifying - To ensure that our mousse emulsifies properly, make sure to use softened butter & to let your livers & onions cool to room temperature. Also make sure to gradually add the cream in whilst blending.
4. Cider - Any cider will work for the jelly (I used Thatchers blood orange cider). You could also use port, prosecco or chicken stock.
5. Serving Bowl - You can set your mousse in a serving bowl then scoop it to serve. Or you could set it in individual pots/ramekins. It's up to you!
6. Storage - Chicken liver mousse needs to be stored in the fridge & is best eaten within 3 days of being made.