Pork Liver Mousse

Fit for Company, Fit for a Crowd

This mousse, which is made with cooked liver and lots of onions and shallots, is fairly easy to prepare, but unlike most pâtés, it does not keep longer than 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. I like the sweet undertones provided by the apples, but you can omit them. Because pork liver is stronger tasting than other liver, I soak it in buttermilk to
leach out some of its stronger flavors. Feel free to replace a portion of it with chicken, duck, calf’s, or beef liver if you prefer. Just make sure that whatever kind of liver you use is impeccably fresh. Avoid frozen liver, which becomes watery and would give the mousse a grainy texture.

Serves 8 to 12

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1½ pounds pork liver, or ¾ pound pork liver plus ¾ pound chicken or duck livers or calf’s or beef liver
• 1 pound (4 sticks) butter
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ⅛ teaspoon each ground allspice, nutmeg, ginger, coriander, and cloves, combined, or more to taste
• 1½ cups chopped onions
• ½ cup chopped shallots
• 6 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons sweet sherry or Madeira
• 1 small Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and diced (optional)
• 3 pitted prunes, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes and drained (optional)
• Crostini, toast, or crackers

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the buttermilk in a large bowl and stir in the sugar. Add the pork liver and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
2. Drain the pork liver in a colander and wash well under cold running water until all the milky coating is gone. Pat dry with paper towels. Cut away any large blood vessels or connective tissue from the pork liver and calf’s or beef liver (if using) and cut into 2-inch pieces. If using poultry livers, leave them whole.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When it begins to sizzle, add half of the liver and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and half of the spice mixture. Shaking the pan and stirring, cook the liver until lightly browned and firm but still slightly pink on the inside. Transfer the liver and pan juices to a large bowl. Repeat with an additional 2 tablespoons of the butter, the remaining liver, another 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and the remaining spices. Set 3 sticks of butter to soften on top of the warm liver while you cook the vegetables.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining 2 tablespoons butter to the skillet. Add the onions, shallots, and garlic and sprinkle with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the brandy and sherry and scrape up any browned bits from the
   bottom of the pan. Cover and cook until the vegetables are quite soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the apple and/or prunes (if using), and cook for 5 minutes more, or until the fruit is soft. Scrape the mixture and any juices into the bowl with the liver and butter. Stir the mixture and allow to cool at room temperature for 30 minutes.
5. Puree the mixture in 2 or 3 batches in a food processor until smooth and transfer to a large bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and spices. Stir until well mixed. Scrape the mousse into a serving bowl or 9-×-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan, smooth the top, and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or until firm.
6. Allow it to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes. If the mousse is in a loaf pan, dip the pan into a large container of hot water for 10 to 20 seconds, then turn it out onto a platter. Or serve directly from the serving bowl. Serve with crostini, toast, or crackers.

ALTERNATIVE CUTS:

• Lamb’s liver, alone or in combination with the pork.

COOK’S NOTES:

• For a more intensely porky flavor, replace some of the butter with an equal amount of homemade lard.
• For an Asian flavor, use ½ teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder instead of the spices called for in the recipe.
  After the liver mixture is processed, it will still have a slightly grainy texture. If you prefer a supersmooth mousse, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve before putting it into the mold.