CookEat Recipe
Smooth Calf and Chicken Liver Pudding in Aspic
A fine calf-and-chicken-liver pudding with Marsala, bread and Parmesan, set in a water bath and enclosed in clear amber meat jelly.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Gather the ingredients: 500 g professionally prepared calf liver, thinly sliced; 4 professionally prepared chicken livers, about 120 g, each halved; 75 g butter: 35 g for the first cooking, 35 g added during cooking and 5 g for the mould; 50 g soft fresh bread crumb; 20 g grated Parmesan; 100 ml Marsala; 6 tablespoons ready-to-use beef jus or broth, about 90 ml; 1 whole egg and 2 egg yolks for the liver pudding; 1 bay leaf; Salt and black pepper; 500 g boneless veal shank; 150 g professionally cleaned veal foot; Professionally cleaned food-grade feet from 2 or 3 chickens; 2 professionally cleaned food-grade chicken heads with their necks; 2 litres cold water; Salt as needed; 70 g lean veal, very finely minced, for clarifying; 1 egg for clarifying; About 30 ml water for clarifying; 2 pinches sugar and a few drops water for caramel.
Step 2
For about 1 litre of clear meat jelly, use the listed shank, veal foot and professionally prepared chicken feet, heads and necks. Cut the feet into pieces, put all these parts in a pot with the 2 litres cold water and a little salt, and bring to a simmer. Skim and simmer very gently for 7–8 hours, until reduced to about half. Strain into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, within 2 hours, at 4°C or colder until set. Remove the solid fat. If a thoroughly chilled sample does not set, boil the broth again to reduce it further and test another chilled sample. Do not add an unspecified number of gelatin sheets.
Step 3
In a saucepan, mix the extra 70 g finely minced veal with the egg and 30 ml water. Add the cold jelly and whisk over heat until it boils. Simmer gently for about 20 minutes. In a small heavy saucepan, heat the two pinches of sugar and a few drops of water to dark amber, without burning black. Carefully dissolve with a little hot broth, standing back from steam, then stir small amounts into the simmering jelly until pale amber. Pour while hot through a clean damp fine cloth in a sieve, without squeezing. Keep the strained jelly in a clean container, cool promptly and refrigerate; gently remelt only the amount needed for assembly. Discard sour jelly or jelly left out for more than 2 hours; boiling does not rescue spoiled food.
Step 4
Prepare the pudding while the jelly is being prepared or chilled. Use professionally cleaned food-grade calf and chicken livers. Put the thin calf-liver slices and halved chicken livers in a frying pan with the whole bay leaf and the first 35 g butter. Cook gently until the butter is mostly absorbed, then add the other 35 g butter and season with salt and pepper. Add the Marsala and cook over moderately high heat for about 4–5 minutes, extending as needed until the centres of all the liver pieces reach at least 74°C. Keep the pieces thin and avoid prolonged cooking once that temperature is reached.
Step 5
Lift out the cooked livers and discard the whole bay leaf. Put the fresh bread crumb in the remaining pan juices and stir to make a soft paste. Pound or process the livers and bread paste very finely, then press through a fine sieve. Let cool briefly, mix in the Parmesan, one whole egg and two yolks, and thin with the six tablespoons beef jus or broth.
Step 6
Heat the oven to 160°C. Butter a smooth mould of about 1¼ litres with the remaining 5 g butter and line its base with buttered baking paper. Fill with the liver mixture, place in a roasting pan and add hot water halfway up its sides. Bake for about 45–60 minutes until set and at least 74°C in the centre. Let stand briefly, turn out while warm and remove the paper. Refrigerate promptly in a shallow container within 2 hours and chill until cold throughout. Two smaller smooth moulds may be used for easier cooling, adjusting the cooking time to the same temperature check.
Step 7
Choose a second mould slightly larger than the cold liver pudding. Gently remelt enough clear meat jelly, cool until still fluid, and pour a thin layer into the larger mould. Refrigerate until this base starts to set. Centre the cold pudding on it and fill the gap around it and cover the top with more cool liquid jelly. Refrigerate promptly until softly set throughout, about 3–4 hours.
Step 8
Warm the outside of the mould briefly with a hot damp cloth, turn out and serve cold in slices as twelve small portions. Keep at 4°C or colder and eat within 2–3 days of first making the jelly broth or liver pudding, whichever is earlier. Discard if left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
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