Chicken Liver Mousse

Nick-named “meat butter” by our 20-something cousin, this is a perfect addition to a charcuterie board, this smooth and savory spread will keep your guests coming back to the appetizer table for seconds and thirds (or just make it for yourself on a cozy movie night…)

Adapted from Sam Sifton’s adaptation of Javier Huerta’s original recipe (@NYTCooking)

Ingredients

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 medium shallots, peeled and finely chopped
• 1.5 teaspoons Lemon Thyme salt, (I like to mortar and pestle it to a fine grain, but it’s not necessary)
• 1 pint fresh chicken livers, approximately 1 pound, trimmed
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• ½ cup tawny port
• 3 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed
• Keep It Savory Salt Co Lemon Thyme salt to taste

Preparation

Step 1

Put a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, and sauté them until translucent, being careful not to allow them to brown, about 5-7 minutes. Add the livers, thyme and port, and bring the heat to high. Cook, occasionally stirring the livers around in the pan with a spoon, until the wine has reduced and the livers are lightly browned but still very soft and pink on the inside, approximately 5 minutes.

Step 2

Remove the pan from the stove, and put its contents into a blender or food processor with the butter. Slowly add the cream as you purée until smooth, adding a little more cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt or thyme (or even a dash or two of port!) if you think necessary.

Step 3

Pour the mousse into two-three a glass jam jars or a bowl. Smooth the top with a spatula, if needed. Garnish with sprigs of thyme. Cover jars with lid or plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours or up to five days. I like to freeze the extra jars to have at later holiday parties. Serve with lightly toasted baguette slices on