Chicken or Duck Liver Mousse Recipe

By
Chichi Wang
Chichi Wang: Contributing Writer at Serious Eats
Chichi Wang

Chichi Wang wrote a variety of columns for Serious Eats including The Butcher's Cuts, in addition to other stories. Born in Shanghai and raised in New Mexico, Chichi took her degree in philosophy but decided that writing about food would be more fun than writing about Plato.

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Updated Jan. 06, 2020
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Recipe Facts

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 105 mins
Chilling Time: 8 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 5 mins
Serves: 10 to 12 servings

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Ingredients

For the Spice Mix:

  • 1 leaf bay leaf

  • 2 whole cloves

  • 8 whole white peppercorns

  • 2 allspice berries

For the Mousse:

  • 1 large onion, finely diced (about 1 cup)

  • 6 ounces salt pork backfat

  • 1 pound chicken livers, cleaned and patted dry on paper towels

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 1/4 cup brandy

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Grind the spices together into a fine powder and pass it through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

  2. Cover the onions and pork fat in a medium saucepan with water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. Drain and allow to drip dry for a few minutes.

  3. Place the chicken livers, egg, heavy cream, salt, brandy, and spices in a blender and blend on high heat until completely smooth. With the blender running, slowly add the fat and onions. Don't add too quickly or the mixture will break. Blend for at least a minute or two after the last addition of fat. Pass the liquid mixture through a fine mesh strainer.

  4. Pour the liquid into a terrine mold or individual ramekins (a bread pan will do in a pinch) and place them in a roasting pan lined with a kitchen towel. Fill the pan with boiling water to just under the edge of the mold. Cover the top of the mold with a lid (or anything to block moisture from evaporating). Carefully transfer to the middle rack of the oven and back until it reaches 160°F in the center (about 1 1/2 hours or so).

  5. Remove from the oven and let it cool completely. Chill overnight in the refrigerator.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
137 Calories
8g Fat
3g Carbs
11g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories 137
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g 10%
Saturated Fat 4g 18%
Cholesterol 209mg 70%
Sodium 311mg 14%
Total Carbohydrate 3g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 11g
Vitamin C 9mg 46%
Calcium 22mg 2%
Iron 4mg 20%
Potassium 215mg 5%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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