I'm late arriving to this pate party, but just found this nose-to-tail thread and couldn't resist chipping in. I have a recipe for chicken liver mousse that even people who say they don't like chicken liver really love. This makes a lot of mousse, so I usually cut the recipe in half.
1 pound chicken livers
1 pound butter, plus 2 oz
3 oz bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
spices to taste: cinnamon, smoked paprika, paprika, mace, allspice, freshly ground white pepper
good starting point for spices: 1/4 tsp cinnamon (can increase up to 1/2 tsp), 1/2 tsp smoked paprika, 1/4 tsp mace, 1/4 tsp allspice
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/3 cup whiskey or bourbon
4 oz cream cheese (can double to 8 oz for milder mousse)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Trim and rinse the livers, drain well, and pat dry. Cut into 1/2 to 1 inch size pieces. Brown 2 oz butter. Season liver with 1 tsp kosher salt. Sear livers in brown butter, turning occasionally, until stiffened but still somewhat pink in the middle, about 5 or 6 minutes depending on size of the liver pieces. Remove liver from heat. Don't overcook the livers or they will be dry. Juice running from the liver should be brown not pink, but liver pieces should still be somewhat pink in the middle.
Fry bacon in a frying pan over medium-high heat. When the bacon starts to sweat, add onion and cook until the onions have caramelized. Add garlic and spices during the last minute or so. Add apples and cook through until browned. Deglaze the pan with the whiskey or bourbon, and reduce until the ingredients are near dry. Combine livers, onion, garlic, spices, apple, bacon, remaining 1 lb butter, and cream cheese in a food processor. Process until smooth. Pass the puree through a sieve. You don't need to sieve it, but I think it is better that way. Adjust salt, pepper, and other spices to taste. Additional 1/2 tsp salt or more may be needed. Additional 1/8 tsp of smoked paprika may be needed.
Pack the mousse into containers and smooth the tops. Slam the containers on the counter to get rid of all air bubbles. Cover and chill. Mousse flavor will develop as it sits, and is best after 2 days. Mousse will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator. To keep for 2 weeks or longer, cap the top of the mousse with a layer of clarified butter or rendered animal fat. After the fat cap is cracked, mousse will need to be eaten within a week.
