A Love Affair with Southern Cooking by Jean Anderson Read Free Book Online Page A

tablespoon at a time with the food processor running. After four tablespoons have been added, I stop the machine for a few seconds. Any unincorporated bits of butter will rise to the top and I pulse these in before adding any more butter. Finally, I bake the mousse in an ovenproof glass loaf pan or ring mold or an enameled metal terrine, all of which transmit heat slowly and ensure even cooking. With a metal container, the mousse tends to overcook on the outside and undercook in the center.
     
    1½ cups heavy cream, at room temperature
    4 tablespoons bacon drippings or butter (drippings add nice smoky flavor)
    6 medium scallions, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks (use white part only)
    One ½-inch cube fresh ginger, peeled
    ½ teaspoon brined green peppercorns, drained well
    ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
    ¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
    1 pound chicken livers, halved at the natural separation, trimmed of fat and connective tissue, and brought to room temperature (see headnote)
    1½ teaspoons salt
    8 egg yolks, at room temperature
    3 tablespoons sweet Madeira wine (Malmsey or Bual)
    1 cup (2 sticks) butter, cut into pats (use the wrapper markings) and brought to room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 275° F. Lightly butter a 6-cup ovenproof glass ring mold, an 8½ × 4½ × 2¾-inch ovenproof glass loaf pan, or a 6-cup enameled cast-iron or glazed earthenware terrine; set aside.
2. Pour ½ cup of the cream into a very small, heavy saucepan or butter warmer and set over lowest heat. Also, melt the bacon drippings in a small, heavy skillet over low heat.
3. Meanwhile, coarsely chop the scallions, ginger, and peppercorns with the allspice and nutmeg by churning 3 to 5 seconds in a food processor. Add to the skillet and sauté, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until limp. Cool to room temperature.
4. Return the scallion mixture to the processor (no need to wash the blade or bowl); add the chicken livers, salt, egg yolks, and wine; and purée by churning 30 seconds. Scrape the work bowl.
5. With the motor running, drop 4 tablespoons of the butter down the feed tube one by one, making sure each one is incorporated before adding the next. Stop the machine, wait a few seconds, then open the work bowl. If any flecks of butter have risen to the top, pulse these in completely. Add the remaining butter exactly the same way, pausing after each 4 tablespoons to pulse in any flecks that float to the top. Note: Have patience. If you rush things, the mixture will separate and the only way to bring it back together is to pulse in 1 to 2 tablespoons of the warm cream. Keep it handy.
6. Force the liver mixture through a fine sieve set over a large mixing bowl. Tip: I find the bowl of a ladle the best implement to use—just move it around and around the sieve. Add the cream, including the warmed cream, and stir until no streaks of white remain.
7. Pour into the prepared container, set in a large roasting pan, and slide onto the middle oven shelf. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the container in which you’re baking the liver mousse.
8. Bake uncovered until pale golden on top and a cake tester comes out clean when inserted midway between the center and the rim—about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
9. Lift the mousse from the hot-water bath, set upright on a wire rack, and cool to room temperature. This is important. If you cover and refrigerate the mousse while it’s warm, drops of water will condense and discolor the surface.
10. Cover the mousse with plastic food wrap, overwrap in aluminum foil, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours.
11. To unmold, dip a thin-blade spatula in hot water and loosen the mousse around the edge (the center tube, too, if you used a ring mold). You’ll have to keep dipping the spatula in hot water as you move it around the edge of the mold. Now stand the pan or mold in about an inch of hot water for 10 seconds. Lift out of the water, place a platter on top, then