Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume 2 (127 page)

The diced liver or the
foie gras

2 Tb Cognac

Pinch
épices fines
, or allspice

Salt and pepper

If you are using
foie gras,
cut into ¼-inch dice and place in a bowl. Fold
foie gras
or liver gently with the Cognac and flavorings and let marinate until needed.

¼ cup (¾ ounce pressed down) stale white crumbs from unsweetened homemade-type bread

½ cup milk

Simmer bread crumbs in milk, stirring constantly, for several minutes until thick enough to mass on a spoon. Scrape into large bowl of mixer, or a large mixing bowl. (This is a
panade.
)

½ lb. (1 cup) lean veal

Either
1 lb. (2 cups)
chair à saucisses
;

Or
½ lb. lean pork loin, shoulder, or fresh ham and ½ lb. fresh pork fatback or outside loin fat

The sautéed undiced chicken livers

Put meats, fat, and chicken livers through finest blade of meat grinder and add to mixing bowl.

The marinade from the diced
foie gras
or chicken livers

2 tsp salt

Either
¾ tsp
épices fines
and ¼ tsp white pepper;

Or
½ tsp white pepper and big pinches each allspice and nutmeg

¼ tsp thyme

Either
¼ cup peeled pistachio nuts, quartered lengthwise;

Or
1 or 2 diced truffles and their canned juices

1 egg

¼ cup dry port wine or Sercial Madeira

The marinated
foie gras
or diced chicken livers

Beat in the marinade, salt, flavorings, pistachios or truffles and juice, and egg. When well blended, gradually beat in the wine. Finally, fold in the diced
foie gras
or chicken livers, being careful not to break the diced shapes. Mixture will be fairly soft. Sauté a spoonful and taste; correct seasoning as necessary. Form into sausages using either
casings or cheesecloth
. (If you are using the mixture for a filling or stuffing that is to be baked later, pack into a covered bowl.) Flavor will improve when refrigerated a day or two before cooking.

Cook and serve sausages as suggested in preceding Master Recipe, or bake in
brioche
dough as in the following recipe.

(*)
STORAGE NOTE
: Sausages may be frozen for a month or so.

SAUCISSON DE FOIES DE VOLAILLE—PÂTÉ DE FOIES DE VOLAILLE—FARCE À GRATIN

[Chicken-liver Sausage for Baking in
Brioche
Dough—Chicken-liver
Pâté
—Chicken-liver Spread or Filling]

This all-purpose liver mixture is so versatile it can serve as a sausage, a
pâté,
a spread for sandwiches and hors d’oeuvre, a filling for poultry or meat, and can generally be used anywhere you need the depth and strength of a liver accent. Liver alone is such a concentrated flavor that you must have something else with it to temper the taste: the sausage uses cream cheese and bread crumbs, while the
pâté
includes cheese and butter, and the filling,
farce à gratin,
calls for the traditional pork fat. Two other liver
pâtés
or spreads are the
pork-liver
pâté
and the mousse of chicken livers in Volume I, page 559.

For about 2 cups

The basic chicken-liver mixture

⅓ cup very finely minced onions

3 Tb chicken fat or butter

¾ lb. (1½ cups) chicken livers

Either
¼ tsp
épices fines
;

Or
a big pinch each of allspice, mace, and white pepper

A big pinch thyme

¼ tsp salt

⅓ cup Cognac

Optional: ½ cup diced fresh mushrooms, squeezed dry and sautéed in 1 Tb butter

Cook the onions slowly in the fat or butter for 12 to 15 minutes, until very tender but not brown. Add livers and seasonings, and toss over moderately high heat just until stiffened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes; livers should remain rosy inside. Pour in the Cognac, heat to bubbling, and flame with a lighted match; in 1 minute, extinguish flames with a cover and remove pan from heat. Stir in optional mushrooms. The liver mixture is now ready to be used either in
brioche
dough or in another form as follows.

For sausage in brioche

½ cup (1 ounce pressed down) dry white crumbs from unsweetened homemade-type bread

4 ounces (½ cup) cream cheese

The basic chicken-liver mixture

Stir the bread crumbs and cheese into the liver mixture, and purée through a food mill, meat grinder, or blender. Correct seasoning. Roll into a cylindrical shape in aluminum foil and chill until firm; however, bring to room temperature before encasing it in the dough so that dough will rise easily.