Mousselines de Foie Gras

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Small saucepan with a pouring lip
• •Food processor
• •Fine-mesh sieve and flexible scraper
• •Four 4-ounce (120 ml) silicone egg or quenelle moulds
• •Soft pastry brush
• •Instant-read thermometer, helpful but not essential

Instructions

1. 1

   Build the quick aspic

   Sprinkle the gelatin evenly over the cold water and leave it for 5 minutes to bloom. Meanwhile, bring the chicken stock to a lively simmer in a small saucepan and reduce it to exactly 1 cup (240 ml), measuring rather than guessing. Remove the pan from the heat, add the bloomed gelatin, and stir until completely dissolved. Stir in 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of the Madeira, then pass the aspic through a fine sieve lined with damp cloth. Do not boil it after the gelatin goes in. Reserve ¼ cup (60 ml) at cool room temperature for the mousse, pour ½ cup (120 ml) into a shallow dish to set for the chopped jelly, and refrigerate the remaining ½ cup (120 ml) for glazing.

   Taste the reduced stock before adding gelatin. It should seem slightly more seasoned than a broth for drinking because the cold will soften its flavour.
2. 2

   Smooth the foie gras

   Process the foie gras and softened butter until smooth, stopping to scrape the bowl. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon (15 ml) Madeira and the white pepper, then pour in the reserved ¼ cup (60 ml) liquid aspic gradually while the machine runs. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve with a flexible scraper; this sieving is the difference between merely blended and truly silken. Taste a dab from a cold spoon and add salt only if it needs it. If oily beads appear, the mixture became too warm. Chill it for 8 minutes and beat it smooth again. If it stiffens before it is smooth, warm the outside of the bowl briefly with lukewarm water. Ça se rattrape.

3. 3

   Fold in the cream

   Whisk the cold cream to soft peaks that bend at the tip. The foie gras base should feel cool and pliable, not warm or firmly set. Fold in one-third of the cream to loosen the base, then fold in the remainder with broad strokes until no white ribbons remain. Stop as soon as the mixture is even. If the gelatin begins catching in small threads, place the bowl over lukewarm water for 10 seconds and continue folding gently; harder beating will only knock out the lightness.

4. 4

   Fill individual moulds

   Rinse four 4-ounce (120 ml) silicone egg or quenelle moulds with cold water and shake them nearly dry. Divide the mousse among them, pressing it into the curves so no air pockets remain, then tap each mould once against a folded towel and level the tops. Cover without letting the wrapping touch the mousse and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until the centres are completely set but still yield slightly under a fingertip.

   Small pleated paper cases are the classical alternative when moulds are unavailable. Fill and chill them as they are, then spoon a thin layer of aspic over each top instead of unmoulding.
5. 5

   Unmould and glaze

   Warm the reserved glazing aspic over the gentlest heat until fluid, then cool it until it coats a spoon in a thin, even film, about 75°F (24°C). Peel silicone moulds carefully from the cold mousselines and set each portion on a chilled plate. Brush on one thin coat of aspic, chill for 5 minutes, then apply a second coat for a clear gloss. If the aspic runs straight off, it is too warm; wait another minute. If it drags or sets on the brush, warm it briefly. Should a mousseline soften while being handled, return it to the cold before continuing.

6. 6

   Serve with jelly

   Cut the aspic from the shallow dish into fine, irregular dice. Arrange a low ring of the jelly around each mousseline and refrigerate the finished plates for 20 minutes so the glaze settles. Take them from the cold 10 minutes before eating, just long enough for the foie gras to lose its waxy chill, and serve with the toasted brioche. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Use fully cooked plain foie gras, either a whole-lobe terrine or an unsweetened bloc. Do not substitute ordinary liver pâté, which may contain pork liver, starch, and strong seasoning, and do not use raw foie gras because this method contains no liver-cooking step.
• •The stock determines the aspic. A cloudy stock will still taste good, but it cannot give a clear glaze; pass it through a damp cloth and reduce it before the gelatin goes in.
• •The classical entry also permits sauce chaud-froid (a chilled coating sauce). If a proper one is already in your kitchen, cool it until it coats a spoon and use it instead of the aspic glaze, then arrange the mousselines with chopped jelly. Building a separate full sauce for four portions is brigade scaffolding, so this home version leaves it out.
• •Serve the mousselines cool rather than numb from the refrigerator. Ten minutes on the table softens the butter and foie gras enough to spread beautifully while the aspic remains set.
• •A small glass of Sauternes, Monbazillac, or mature Champagne belongs beside this. Keep the brioche thin and crisp so it supports the mousse without overwhelming it.

Advance Preparation

• •The mousselines can be moulded, chilled, and glazed a day before serving. Keep them covered without allowing the wrapping to touch the aspic, then add the chopped jelly shortly before the guests sit down.
• •The aspic can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator. Melt the glazing portion gently and cool it back to coating consistency before use.
• •Toast the brioche up to 4 hours ahead and keep it uncovered at room temperature so it stays crisp. Do not freeze the mousselines; the cream can weep and the aspic loses its clean set.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 200g)