Silky Chicken Liver Mousse with Boozy Cherry Compote & Buttered Brioche

⏱ 50 min · Serves 6

A proper bistro classic: livers flambéed in brandy, blitzed with cream and butter, then passed through a sieve until it's glossy enough to see your face in. Sharp-sweet cherry compote cuts the richness, and warm buttered brioche carries it all home. Make it a day ahead and look effortless.

Per serving: 552 kcal · 18.5g protein · 32.0g carbs · 38.0g fat

Ingredients

• 400g chicken livers, trimmed of any green or sinew
• 250ml whole milk (for soaking)
• 60g unsalted butter, plus 100g softened for the mousse
• 1 small shallot, finely sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves picked
• 60ml brandy or Cognac
• 2 tbsp Madeira or dry sherry
• 100ml double cream
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ¼ tsp ground white pepper
• Pinch of ground allspice
• 50g clarified butter or duck fat, melted (to seal)
• 250g cherries, fresh or frozen, pitted and halved
• 50g caster sugar
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 tbsp port or red wine
• 1 strip orange zest
• 6 thick slices brioche loaf
• 20g butter, for toasting
• Flaky salt, to finish

Method

1. Soak the trimmed livers in the milk for 20 minutes (this sweetens them), then drain well and pat completely dry.
2. Meanwhile make the compote: put cherries, sugar, vinegar, port and orange zest in a small pan. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes until syrupy and jammy. Cool; discard the zest.
3. Melt 30g butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot, garlic and thyme and soften for 3 minutes without colouring.
4. Turn the heat up, add the remaining 30g butter, then the livers in a single layer. Sear 90 seconds per side — deeply browned outside, still rosy in the middle. Do not overcook.
5. Off the heat, add the brandy and Madeira, then return to the flame to flambé or simply let it bubble hard for 30 seconds to burn off the alcohol. Scrape up every sticky bit.
6. Tip everything into a blender with the cream, salt, white pepper and allspice. Blitz for a full 2 minutes until completely smooth, then add the 100g softened butter in pieces and blitz again until glossy.
7. Push the mousse through a fine sieve with a ladle or spatula — tedious, but it's the difference between good and restaurant-good.
8. Divide between 6 small ramekins or spoon into one 500ml terrine. Tap to level, cool, then pour over a thin layer of melted clarified butter to seal. Chill at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
9. To serve, fry the brioche slices in butter until golden on both sides and cut into fingers. Bring the mousse to just below room temperature (20 minutes out of the fridge), top with cherry compote and flaky salt, and serve with the warm brioche.