Julia Child's Chicken Liver Mousse with Gruyere Crostini

Liver is not something that is often loved. Truth be told, when I first encountered it as a child I was terrified of it. But even then, I was always known to always try something at least once before dismissing it. I'm glad I still have that quality because I would have missed out on a lot of things if I didn't have the courage to just overlook their 'scariness factor' and get on with it. 

What's lovely about the Vietnamese heritage is that it's heavily influenced by the French, and who doesn't want to be mixed up in all that loveliness? My dad actually learned French as his first language before he even learned Vietnamese or English and I'm still dreaming of the day when I get to visit myself. Anyway, one thing I thank the French for is pâté, which taught me how to love liver. We Vietnamese spread it all over our sandwiches every chance we get. I decided to try to make it myself using Julia Child's recipe and it was quite possibly the easiest, quickest appetizer I've ever made. Oh yes, and very, very delicious. I couldn't believe how good it was, especially with the super flavorful and crispy Gruyere crostini! I served mine alongside some cornichons for an added tangy contrast.

Julia Child's Chicken Liver Mousse

Yields: about 2 cups

Original recipe here.

2 cups chicken livers

2 tbsn. minced shallots (I used one whole shallot)

2 tbsn. butter

1/3 cup cognac

1/4 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. allspice

1/8 tsp. pepper

pinch of thyme

1/2 cup melted butter

kosher salt and pepper

Remove any greenish or blackish spots from the livers, as well as any sinew. Cut the livers into 1/2" pieces. Melt the butter over medium heat in a sauté pan until the foam has subsided. Saute the livers with the shallots in butter for 2 - 3 minutes or until the livers are just stiffened, but still rosy inside. Scrape into a blender jar. Pour the cognac into the pan and boil it down rapidly until it has reduced to 3 tbsn. Scrape into the blender. Add the cream and seasonings into the blender, cover, and blend at top speed for several seconds until the liver is a smooth paste. Add the melted butter and blend several seconds more. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Pack into a bowl or jar and chill for 2 - 3 hours before eating.

Gruyere Crostini

Yields: 20 - 25 crostini

Original recipe here.

1 loaf of crusty rustic bread or sourdough

4 tbsn. butter

1 tsp. smooth Dijon mustard

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsn. finely minced parsley (optional)

1 1/2 oz. finely grated Gruyere (about 1/3 cup)

2 tbsn. finely grated Parmigiano or Romano cheese

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Using a bread knife, slice the loaf into thin crostini (about 1/2 - 3/4 cm thick) In a small bowl, combine the melted butter and mustard and whisk to combine. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Use a pastry brush to brush this mixture lightly on each side of the crostini. Lay the crostini on a foil or parchment paper lined baking sheet side by side. In a small bowl combine the two cheeses and parsley. Sprinkle the cheese over the tops of all of the crostini. Bake for 10 minutes until golden brown or even a little darker if you prefer it a bit crunchier. These are best eaten right away or the same day. 

Chocolate Strawberry Tart

I really love giving gifts. But, let me rephrase that, I really love giving heartfelt gifts. Giving a gift that's barely thought out or mindlessly chosen is not the kind of thing I'd want to impose on someone, nor would I ever want to receive it. Yes, sometimes, a hand crafted or handpicked gift is not as useful, as say, a gift card but I think it really is the thought that counts. I mean it's a popular phrase for good reason.

That's why one of my most favoritist gifts to give are baked creations. They involve time, work and love - and bonus, they make people extremely happy! It just works out perfectly for me because I love to bake and I love to try out new recipes, but for sake of not overeating myself into oblivion, I can joyously offer my goods to my friends, family, and loved ones. 

This strawberry tart is inspired by a tart I had from a lovely bakery, Zov's in Tustin. With a sugar cookie crust, chocolate mousse filling, fresh strawberry crown and chocolate ganache, this tart boasts of many decadent components. Yes, it sounds a bit frightful, but take each step one at a time, and you'll be a tart master in no time! 

I kind of over baked the tart shell slightly but it still turned out delicious. A chewy crust with impossibly smooth chocolate mousse. Ideally though, this tart would be best made in the summer, when strawberries are sweeter to contrast with the bittersweet chocolate mousse. 

Chocolate Strawberry Tart

Yields: 1 9-inch tart

Mousse recipe here.

Sugar cookie dough, store bought or homemade

Chocolate shavings, for decoration (optional)

For the chocolate mousse:

3.5 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 1/2 tbsn. water

2 large eggs, at room temperature, separated

pinch of coarse salt

For the chocolate glaze:

6 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

6 tbsn. unsalted butter

1/2 tbsn. light corn syrup

2 tsp. water

To make the mousse, combine the chocolate and water in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Heat the chocolates until it is almost completely melted, siring occasionally. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth. Set aside and let cool to near room temperature. In a clean, dry bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites and salt. Whip on medium speed until stiff peaks form - they should be thick and smooth. Stir the egg yolks into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to chocolate and fold gently to lighten up the mixture. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently just until no visible streaks are left. Spread onto the cooled tart shell and refrigerate for at least 3 hours. Top with fresh strawberries. 

With your prepared sugar cookie dough, press the dough into a 9" or 10" tart pan (with releasable bottom). Make sure to go up the sides and that the dough is even all around the pan (about 1/2 cm thick). Bake according to package directions until golden brown all over. The dough will puff up, so while it is still hot, use the back of a large spoon to press down the center of the hot dough to make a well so that you can fill it with mousse later. Set aside to cool completely. To make the glaze, combine all of the ingredients in a small heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is almost completely melted, but do not overheat. Remove the glaze from the water bath and set aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until perfectly smooth.

To assemble, place your sugar cookie tart shell onto your serving plate. Pour about 1/4 cup of the glaze (just enough to cover the bottom) into the bottom of the tart shell and use a spoon to spread evenly across the bottom. Place in the refrigerator to set, about 10 minutes. Once set, spread the chocolate mousse into the tart shell, and top with hulled strawberries (tips pointing upwards). Use the remaining glaze to pour on top of the strawberries, then sprinkle with chocolate shavings and allow to refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.

The strawberries are playing peek-a-boo!

Tartelette's Poire D'Eve

Working in a restaurant has had a lot of influence on me. Aside from school, extracurriculars and life, I also happen to work at a restaurant as a server. Of course, right? Even more involvement with food for me! Well my obsession with Vietnamese food stemmed from my constant contact with well, Vietnamese food; both at home and at my job.

Which don't get me wrong, I love. For one, I love being able to sneak peaks in the kitchen and see how the chefs work their magic on the food. And shh, don't tell but sometimes they even let me in on their secrets! Well, another great perk? Dessert sampling, mmmmm. Tons of pastry chefs in the area send their delicious goodies for us to sample and hopefully purchase, and if I'm lucky, I get to eat 'em! That's what kinda inspired me to branch out and try something more risque, so to speak.

I've longed over Tartelette's gorgeous goodies for a while now but they were so complex that they freaked the hell out of me! But I got over my fears and tried her Poire D'Eve. Yes, there were many, many steps. Yes, it was a wee bit scary. Yes, it was amazing.

The feuillantine was my favorite! It had the crispiest crunch and was deliciously chocolatey. Next, the caramel mousse, oh my. So light and airy it just melted in your mouth. By itself, it was really sweet but when paired with the very light Bavarian cream, oh gosh, words cannot say. For me, the pear component didn't shine through much but that's probably because I didn't actually poach the pears in spices like Tartelette did but rather just used canned pears (please don't tar and feather me)! Anyways, what a great dessert!

Poire D'Eve

Yields: 8 - 10 servings

Original recipe from Tartelette, which can be found here.

For the Feuillantine:

5 oz. milk chocolate

4 tbsn. butter

1 cup corn flakes

2 oz. toasted and skinned hazelnuts

For the caramel mousse:

1/2 cup sugar

2 tbsn. water

2 tbsn. salted butter, room temperature

1 cup heavy cream, divided

For the Vanilla Pear Bavarian Cream:

4 canned pears, drained and chopped into small dices

4 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup whole milk

1/2 vanilla bean

1 tbsn. powdered gelatin, sprinkled over 3 tbsn. water

1 cup heavy cream

For the Pear Syrup Glaze:

1/2 cup reserved pear liquid

1 1/2 tsp. gelatin, sprinkled over 1 tbsn. water

Line a 8x8 square pan with foil and set aside. To make the feuillantine, put the cornflakes and hazelnuts in a small freezer bag, close the seam and roll with a rolling pin until finely crushed. On the top of a double boiler set over medium heat, melt together the chocolate and butter until they come together. Remove from the heat and stir in the cornflakes mixture. Immediately pat the mixture with your fingertips or the back of the spoon at the bottom of the line pan. Set aside while you prepare the mousses.

For the mousse, measure 3/4 cup of the cream and refrigerate. In a microwave or small saucepan, heat the remaining 1/4 cup until fairly hot. In a heavy bottomed saucepan, add the sugar to the water and cook over medium high heat without stirring until you get a dark brown caramel. Take the pan off the heat and add the butter and 1/4 cream. It will bubble like mad but it will not run over. Stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let it cool to room temperature. Whip the cold whipped cream to soft peaks in a stand mixer. Fold 1/3 of the whipped cream to the caramel to loosen it up and then add the remaining whipped cream. Spread over the feuillantine base and refrigerate until completely set.

To make the bavarian cream, in a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar until very pale. In the meantime, in a large saucepan set over medium heat, bring the milk and vanilla bean to a boil. Slowly pour the milk over the yolks, whisking constantly. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan over medium low heat and cook until the cream coats the back of a spoon (as if making a creme anglaise). Add the softened gelatin and stir until completely melted into the cream. Let cool to room temperature. Whip the heavy cream to soft peaks and fold it into the cooled cream base. Fold in the diced pears and pour mixture over the caramel mousse until set. If you want to add the glaze, freeze the cake to avoid melting the mousse.

To make the glaze, bring the liquid to a boil, add the gelatin and stir until completely dissolved. Let cool to room temperature, if the mixture gels, warm up over low heat until barely melted again. Pour over the frozen cake and let set in the fridge. Cut through the cake with a knife dipped in hot water to prevent breaking the glaze.