A simple chicken liver mousse recipe with balsamic onions that makes for a great appetizer or side dish.
- 1/3 cup neutral oil (for frying the onions and the liver)
- 1 cup yellow onion thinly sliced
- 1 lb chicken livers (rinsed and patted dry)
- 2 oz unsalted butter (room temperature or melted)
- 1 tbsp brandy (optional)
- 2 oz cream cheese (room temperature)
- 2-4 Tbsp heavy cream
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
- 1 Tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 1 cups onion thinly sliced
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar
- 4 Tbsp white wine
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp black ground pepper
- 2 oz unsalted butter melted
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Prep: Rinse the livers in a colander until the water runs clear. Then, blot with a paper towel to remove extra moisture.
Peel and slice enough onions to make 3/4th cup.
Chop dill and parsly.
Prepare and measure the rest of the ingredients
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Saute Onions: Preheat a large skillet with 1/3 cup of oil to medium high heat and add 1 cup of sliced onions. Saute over medium heat, stirring often untill golden in color (~10 min). Remove the onions with a slotted spoon to a blender, leaving the oil behind.
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Sear the chicken livers: Preheat the oil again over medium-high heat and sear the chicken livers on each side until cooked through, but not overcooked, about 1-2 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the skillet. The livers can have a little bit of pink inside, similar to a steak. Remove with a slotted spoon to a blender and allow to cool. Discard the oil and clean the skillet.
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Balsamic Onions: add 2 tbsp oil and 1 cup of thinly sliced onions to the skillet and sweat the onions, stirring often until they start to caramelize slightly and become translucent (~10 min). Now add 1 tbsp brown sugar, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar & 4 tbsp white wine. Keep cooking and stirting until the sugar is dissolved & most of the liquid is evaporated. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Set aside.
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Whip the chicken liver mousse: Blend the chicken livers and onions in the blender until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed (this blender spatula is the best). Add 2 oz of unsalted butter, 2 oz room temperature cream cheese and 2-4 tbsp of cream, blending well before each addition. Now add, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/2 tsp salt & pepper, mix, taste and adjust the seasoning. Lastly, add finely chopped parsley and fold it in.
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Add the liver mousse to a serving dish and serve right away. To serve later, add the chicken liver mousse to ramekins and gently tap the ramekins until the top evens out flat.
Now, melt enough butter to cover the top of chicken liver mousse with a thin layer of butter, it will keep the mousse fresh longer.
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Refrigerate until ready to serve.
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Serve with a sliced baguette, pickled cornichons or butter pickles or pickled vegetables.
The liver mousse will keep well in the fridge covered, for up to 4 days.