Chicken Liver Mousse Mirabelle

2339621 pound chicken livers
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Quatre Epics (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
4 sage leaves
2 shallots, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon Cognac
1/3 cup port
1/3 cup marsala
8 ounces unsalted butter, softened

Quatre Epics:
3 tablespoons black peppercorns
1 tablespoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons whole cloves
Clean the chicken livers of any bile residue, cut out the nerves, and season them with salt and pepper and the quatre epics.

Put the grapeseed oil into a large hot skillet and add the livers, sage, shallots, garlic and thyme. Toss the mixture well and cook over moderately high heat until the livers are medium rare. Add the Cognac, flambe the mixture, tossing it well, and transfer it to a sieve set over a bowl and refrigerate the mixture for 1 hour.

Add the port and marsala wines to the skillet and deglaze the pan, stirring well. Reduce the liquid by three-fourths and transfer to a small bowl.

When the livers are cold, transfer them to a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the reduced wine and softened butter and pulse to combine. Taste for seasonings.

Force the mixture through a fine mesh sieve, transfer it to a small terrine lined with plastic wrap and refrigerate, covered with plastic wrap. The mousse is ready to serve when it is fully chilled.

Serve the mousse with cornichons and toasted sliced French bread. The mousse makes a perfect hor d’oeuvre for cocktails.

This recipe was provided by a chef, restaurant or culinary professional and may have been scaled down from a bulk recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Quatre Epics:
In a spice or coffee grinder, grind the spices to a powder and store it in a small sealed container. Yield: 5 tablespoons.