Silken Chicken Liver Mousse with Madeira Jelly & Toasted Sourdough

⏱ 150 min · Serves 6

A properly restaurant-grade parfait: livers soaked, blitzed with butter and cream, baked gently in a bain-marie, then sieved to a texture like cold silk. A glossy Madeira jelly sets on top, cracking under the spoon, and hot toasted sourdough does the rest. Make it a day ahead and look effortlessly brilliant.

Per serving: 690 kcal · 24.0g protein · 32.0g carbs · 51.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400g chicken livers, trimmed of sinew and green patches
• 250ml whole milk (for soaking)
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 100ml Madeira (plus 250ml for the jelly)
• 50ml brandy
• 4 sprigs thyme
• 250g unsalted butter, diced, at room temperature
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 75ml double cream
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 250ml Madeira (for the jelly)
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 3 sheets leaf gelatine (about 6g)
• Flaky sea salt, to finish
• 1 sourdough loaf, sliced 1cm thick
• Extra virgin olive oil, for the toast

Method

1. Soak the trimmed livers in the milk in the fridge for 1 hour (or overnight) — this gives a sweeter, cleaner flavour. Drain well and pat very dry.
2. Put the shallots, garlic, thyme, 100ml Madeira and the brandy in a small pan. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to about 3 tablespoons of syrupy liquid, 8–10 minutes. Discard the thyme and let cool slightly.
3. Heat the oven to 140°C fan / 160°C conventional. Butter a 1-litre terrine mould or loaf tin and line the base with baking paper. Boil a kettle.
4. Blitz the livers in a food processor for 2 minutes until completely smooth. Add the eggs, the Madeira reduction (shallots and all), cream, salt, white pepper and nutmeg; blitz again. With the motor running, add the soft butter a few cubes at a time until glossy and emulsified.
5. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug, pushing it through with a ladle. Skim off any foam.
6. Pour into the mould, cover tightly with foil and set in a deep roasting tin. Pour in boiling water to come two-thirds up the sides. Bake 40–50 minutes, until the centre wobbles as one set piece and reads 62–65°C on a probe.
7. Lift out of the water bath, cool to room temperature, then chill at least 3 hours (overnight is best) until firm.
8. For the jelly, soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 minutes. Warm the 250ml Madeira with the sugar until steaming but not boiling, then take off the heat. Squeeze the gelatine and whisk it in until dissolved. Cool to room temperature — it must not be warm or it will melt the mousse.
9. Pour the cooled Madeira over the chilled mousse in a thin, even layer and return to the fridge for at least 1 hour to set.
10. Toast thick sourdough slices until deeply golden, brush with olive oil and sprinkle with flaky salt. Serve the mousse scooped or sliced, jelly and all, with the hot toast alongside.