Chicken Liver Mousse
How many times do you wonder what you can serve as a simple amuse-bouche for your guests before dinner and come up with pâté as an easy option? This new approach to an ancient recipe speaks of elegance and plain fun and is far more impressive than difficult to prepare! All you need is a local grocery store that carries decent pâté. Spices, those dried seeds, roots and bark of plants, are used for their preservative qualities as well as wonderful mouth-warming flavors on cold days. Traditionally ingredients were preserved at the end of the summer to store for winter consumption so pâtés, dried fruits and nuts are most acceptable to Thanksgiving purists.
Yield: six portions as an amuse-bouche offering before a meal
Equipment: Four small bowls, cutting board, chef’s knife, measuring spoons, small rubber spatula, 1″ ice cream scoop or two demitasse spoons, 12 Chinese soup spoons or dessert spoons, serving plate.
Ingredients:
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice berry
1/8 teaspoon gr cinnamon
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
8 oz good quality chicken liver mousse pâté
3 tablespoons toasted fine bread crumbs
2 tablespoons toasted walnuts, finely chopped
1 teaspoon toasted chopped walnuts or pecans
1 tablespoon chopped raisins
1 teaspoon chopped dried apricots
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons simple syrup
Directions:
- For the spice mix, combine the ground spices and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
- Soften the chicken liver mousse pâté with a rubber spatula in a bowl. Sprinkle in the spices and mix to combine. Taste for seasoning and adjust as necessary. Smooth uniformly in the bowl. Refrigerate to stiffen mousse.
- While the mousse is chilling combine the toasted bread crumbs and fine toasted walnuts in a small bowl.
- Using a very small ice cream scoop (1″ in diameter) or two small demitasse spoons, scoop the mousse into balls and place on chilled plate. Refrigerate till stiff, about 10 minutes.
- Place the walnut-crumb mix in a bowl. One by one toss the mousse balls in the crumb till completely covered. Replace on chilled plate and refrigerate until service.
- For the candied fruit and nuts, combine all the ingredients and mix well.
- To serve place the mousse balls on dessert spoons or Chinese soup spoons. Garnish with a sprinkle of the candied nuts and fruit.
