Julia’s Chicken Liver Mousse
“Cooking is not a particularly difficult art, and the more you cook and learn about cooking, the more sense it makes. But like any art it requires practice and experience. The most important ingredient you can bring to it is love of cooking for its own sake.”
-Julia Child, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
Of course I admire her food but it’s Julia Child’s presence in the kitchen and life that inspire me most. With grace and humility Julia danced around the stove fancifully with an obvious passion for what she was cooking. There is no hiding the inevitable mistakes and flops that happen when cooking and yet she reiterated that it’s what you do with those little mishaps that make a great cook. Never apologizing for them she moved on accepting the little slip up while not letting it affect the rest of the dish or her confidence.
I don’t claim to be a Julia expert but I am inspired by the image of her in my head that I’ve pieced together through my years of seeing her on TV, reading her books, cooking a bit of her food and learning about her career.
Julia’s passion for food and the career that was formed around that started later in life and was fueled by her genuine love of eating and cooking rather than a desire to be known. Julia’s excitement about food and life around food was and continues to be infectious. I can’t help but want to jump into my kitchen and start cooking every time I read her recipes, her words or watch her saute´ and roast on tv. As a young girl I eagerly sat in front of the tv while watching her baking series on PBS where she brought in dozens of talented bakers to join her in the kitchen. As the chefs were slicing, stirring, whipping and mixing a towering Julia stood at their side dipping her finger into everything in sight. Her passion outweighed her desire to keep up appearances as she couldn’t help but taste the food in all its various stages.
Julia continues to give me confidence in my own kitchen and inspires me to reach beyond my comfort which inturn makes me stronger and wiser. Most recently it was Julia who nudged me to step into the world of pates. In the last several years I’ve shed my childish disdain for the various animal parts that often make up pates. I now frequently order them in restaurants and speak about this as passionately as Julia would. But it wasn’t until last week when Julia held my hand in the kitchen, that I made my first Chicken Liver Mousse.
Throughout the entire process I was beaming with pride feeling as if I was crossing off an item on the imaginary culinary “must make” list. It’s not that the process was a challenge it’s just that I had deemed chicken liver mousse as food to order at a restaurant instead of making at home and didn’t believe I could create the mousse that I fawn over that is made by accomplished chefs.
That is exactly what an inspiring person does. They cause you to see things differently, give you the confidence that you need and push you to actually make it happen. They hold your hand up to a point then push you when you’re ready. In the end you walk away more courageous and more sure of yourself then before. And as with my case, you walk away with a buttery rich and lightly spiced pot of Chicken Liver Mousse topped with a sleek shiny cap of aspic and feeling even more grateful for the inspiring life of Julia Child.
Chicken Liver Mousse
adapted from Mastering the Art of French Cooking makes about 2 cups I served my mousse with cornichons, grainy mustard, pickled cherries , fennel and assorted crackers. 2 c. (about 1 lb) chicken livers 2 tbsp. minced shallots 2 tbsp. butter 1/3 c. cognac 1/4 c. heavy cream 1/2 tsp. salt 1/8 tsp. allspice 1/8 tsp. pepper 1 tsp. chopped, fresh thyme 1/2 c. melted unsalted butter Kosher salt and pepper Remove any greenish or blackish spots from the livers then cut into 1/2″ pieces. Melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat in a sauté pan until foam has subsided. Sauté livers with the shallots in butter for 2 to 3 minutes, until the livers are just stiffened, but still rosy inside. Remove any liquid then scrape into the blender jar. Pour the cognac into the pan and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 3 tablespoons. Scrape it into the blender jar. Add the cream and seasonings to the blender jar. Cover and blend at top speed for several seconds until the liver is a smooth paste. Add the melted butter and blend several seconds more. Adjust seasoning. Push the mousse through a fine sieve to remove any unwanted little bits. Pack into the bowl or jar and chill for 2 to 3 hours. Cognac Aspic adapted from Smith & Ratliff 1/2 c. water, separated 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin 1/2 tsp. sugar 1/2 c. dry vermouth 2 tsp. cognac Place 1/4 c. of cool water in a ramekin, sprinkle unflavored gelatin and let it stand for 10 minutes. In a small saucepan heat vermouth and sugar over medium-low heat until sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Heat the remaining ¼ cup of water and add to softened gelatin. Stir to dissolve. Add the gelatin mixture to the warm wine mixture and mix thoroughly. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add cognac. Let the warm mixture stand until it almost reaches room temperature. Once it has cooled, pour over chilled mousse. Return the mousse to the fridge and chill until the gelée has set, about 30 minutes to 1 hour. If you wish to garnish the mousse with fresh herbs or herb blossoms gently press them into the mousse before topping with the aspic. To learn more about Julia’s life read the new biography Dearie: The Remarkable Life of Julia Child
by Mourad Lahlou. It’s a stunning book filled with Moroccan flavors that are presented in modern and inventive ways.
Harissa
This is what I consider a kid-friendly Harissa. Lots of deep flavor but light on spice. If you want more heat add more dried chilis, keep the seeds in or add a hefty pinch of cayenne.
Makes about 2 3/4 cups
1 roasted red pepper, seeds removed and roughly chopped
1 (14 ounce) can tomato puree,
3 cups cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 dried red chilies (soaked in boiling water until soft, seeds removed - or kept in for more spice)
½ tablespoon sweet paprika
½ tablespoon smoked paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup champagne vinegar
15 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley
6 tablespoons coarsely chopped cilantro
6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Put all the ingredients except the olive oil in a large saucepan, and stir together. Place the pan over medium-high heat, and bring to a gentle simmer for 1-1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adjusting the heat as necessary, until the puree has thickened and reduced to 2 1/4 cups. Don't let the heat go above a low simmer, and keep an eye on the mixture so it doesn't burn.
Working in batches if necessary, transfer the harissa to a blender, turn it on, and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Process until smooth.
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight glass jar, with a film of the olive oil on top, for up to three months.
Brown Butter Farro
3 Tbsp kosher salt
2¼ cups faro, picked over and rinsed
1 cup finely diced red onion
2 Tablespoons olive oil
3/4 cup brown butter* melted and still warm
*Brown butter is simply butter that is melted until the milk solids have caramelized. Remove butter from heat once butter smells nutty and you see golden bits on the bottom. It will continue to brown off heat.
In a large saucepan add the farro and enough water to cover by at least 2 inches. Add the salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook the farro until tender but not mushy, about 30 minutes. Drain the farro in a large strainer, shaking the strainer to remove the excess water.
Meanwhile, put the onions and oil in a large saucepan and set over medium-high heat. When the onions begin to sizzle, decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally for 15 minutes, or until the onions have softened and are slightly caramelized. Set aside.
When ready to serve combine the farro with the onions and brown butter. Taste the farro and season with salt if needed.
You’ll have to forgive the casualness of the next set of recipes. I can’t not share them with you but I failed to accurately record the measurements while in the throes of preparing this feast. Please use these as guidelines and inspiration.
Grilled Feta with Onion, Tomato and Herbs
Place a desired amount of feta on two layers of aluminum foil. Cover with a drizzle of olive oil, sliced red onion, halved cherry tomatoes, fresh thyme and rosemary, salt, and preserved lemon (optional). Wrap tightly then place on a grill or over a fire for about 15 minutes or until heated through. Serve with oiled and grilled pita.
Grilled Pepper and Preserved Lemon Salad
Roast enough peppers (I used red and orange bell peppers as well as a couple poblanos) to yield roughly 3 cups that have be deseeded and sliced into rough ½” ribbons. Add to the peppers 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1-2 tablespoons chopped preserved lemon, kosher salt, chopped cilantro and a healthy splash of olive oil. Taste and adjust seasonings to your desire.
Cumin Fire Roasted Carrots
each pouch serves 2-3 as a side
In each aluminum pouch add 5-7 peeled, whole carrots, a pinch of kosher salt, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of cumin seed. Wrap tightly in 2-3 layers of aluminum foil. Roast in a fire until carrots are tender. I roasted just off to the side of the fire and they took under and hour to roast.
Once roasted add carrots to a platter a drizzle with fresh lemon juice, more olive oil, a pinch of cinnamon and chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Fire Roasted Stone fruit with Cardamom and Dates
each pack of fruitserves 2-3
assorted stone fruits (peaches, nectarines, apricots, plums)
cardamom
dates
vanilla ice cream
orange blossom water (optional)
Halve and remove the pits from the fruit. Place roughly 2 cups of fruit on a sheet of aluminum. Add a handful of halved dates and sprinkle this mix with a pinch of ground cardamom. Wrap in two layers of aluminum and roast over a fire for about 30 minutes. I stopped roasted with I noticed some vibrant bubbling juices emerging from the pack.
Serve warm fruit over a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Sprinkle a bit more cardamom over the ice cream and add a drop or two of orange blossom water to the ice cream, if using.
*
