A smooth pork liver mousse made with leaf fat and milk infused with aromatics, baked in a terrine
As an appetizer or on a charcuterie board, a silky-smooth pork liver mousse spreads in a single stroke and disappears just as quickly. This homemade pork liver pรขtรฉ is flavored with a spice blend and infused milk, which give it a creamy texture and a deep flavor. The liver brings boldness, and the fat mellows it. Simple to make, it has all the makings of a festive appetizer.
What Is Pork Liver Mousse?
It’s a very smooth, almost creamy liver pรขtรฉ: the liver and pork fat are blended into an emulsion, then bound with the infused milk. The mousse stands out for its fine texture and rich flavor, achieved with simple ingredients.
A Legacy of Festive Terrines
Pork liver mousse comes from traditional French cooking, where terrines and pรขtรฉs hold a prominent place at festive meals. This kind of dish makes the most of offal and animal fats, and it has been refined over the centuries.
The Main Ingredients in Pork Liver Mousse
Leaf fat (the pork fat listed in the recipe) is the fat that surrounds a pig’s internal organs. Soft and melting, it adds plenty of richness: in this mousse, it binds the ingredients, adds flavor, and ensures a smooth, even consistency. Its mildness tempers the strong taste of the liver.
The infused milk provides the aromatic flavor. You heat it with thyme, bay leaf, garlic, and a clove, then strain it: this fragrant liquid permeates the mousse, softens the liver, and gives it herbal, spicy notes.
Equipment
- 1 Terrine
Ingredients
- 333 g pork liver
- 667 g pork back fat
- 250 g infused milk
- 50 g onions
- 1 thyme sprig
- 0.5 bay leaf
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 clove
- 19 g salt
- 2 g pepper
- 2 g coriander
- 2 g sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 dash of Madeira or port
Instructions
Making the Infused Milk
- Sweat the onions in the fat
- Add the milk to the onions
- Add the thyme sprig, the half bay leaf, the garlic cloves and the clove
- Infuse at 90ยฐC for 20 minutes
- Strain and set aside
Making the Pรขtรฉ
- Grind the liver through a 3 mm plate
- In a food processor, blend the ground liver with the eggs and spices until you have a fine emulsion (air bubbles should appear)
- Set the mixture aside
- Poach the back fat in broth at 80ยฐC for 5 minutes
- Grind the poached fat through a 3 mm plate
- Blend the ground fat into a fine emulsion
- Add the liver mixture to the fat emulsion
- Mix in the infused milk
- Add a small dash of Madeira or port
Baking
- Pour the mixture into a terrine
- Cover with aluminum foil
- Bake in a steam oven at 110ยฐC until the internal temperature reaches 67ยฐC
Finishing
- Let the pรขtรฉ rest overnight
- Unmold the pรขtรฉ
- Pour a layer of aspic into the bottom of the terrine
- Return the pรขtรฉ to the terrine
- Add more aspic to cover the pรขtรฉ
