I went through a chopped liver/paté/liver mousse/liver terrine phase in the last several months but could not seem to make that sound amazingly delicious on my blog. I brought the samples I made to many an occasion and there were of course a variety of reactions to the word “liver”. The best reaction (by far) was at the office with our farmers’ market manager. You know the guy- he’s guided my decisions before by saying things like, “just add some bacon.” He tasted the liver with no trepidation and then asked if he could take the leftovers home with him. Why sure. I had yet to publish this one until Huntley walked through my door these months later and told me he’d like to make my liver mousse for a Thanksgiving appetizer. So here we go, liver mousse.

After much experimenting, the result here is a combination of my favorite elements of the Jewish chopped liver I love with the smooth creaminess that I love in paté, without using much dairy. This one ain’t for the purists as it’s not quite chopped liver and it’s not as buttery or dairy-full as paté. Oh it tastes really good.

Liver Mousse
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoon butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 pound chicken liver
3-4 Tablespoons brandy
1 egg, hard-boiled, not too firm
salt and pepper

Heat the olive oil and 1 Tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and saute on medium heat until soft and some pieces are a bit browned. Remove the onions to a bowl and set aside. Sear the chicken liver in the same pan and add 2 Tablespoons of brandy while the liver cooks. Depending on the size, this should just take a couple or a few minutes. The liver should be a bit pink on the inside still. Put the onion, the liver, and the egg in a food processor and blend.

De-glaze the pan with another tablespoon of butter and brandy and add that to the food processor as well. Blend until very smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Chill until ready to eat.