This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 11th, 2007 at 3:15 am and is filed under Liver. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
Served hot, this chicken liver custard is delicious as a first course or as the mainstay for luncheon. It is attractive cold, as a light chicken liver pate for cocktails or the cold buffet table.
- 1 pound chicken livers (about 2 cups)
- 2 large eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1 cup thick white sauce (1 ½ tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons flour, and 1 cup milk)
- Optional: 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons cognac
Pick over chicken livers, cutting out any filaments and black or greenish spots. Place them in a jar of an electric blender with eggs, egg yolks, salt, and pepper, and blend for 1 minute. Add the white sauce and the cognac blend for 15 seconds more, and strain through a sieve into a bowl. (Or puree chicken livers through a food grinder into a bowl, beat in the rest of the ingredients, and push through a sieve.)
Baking and Serving:
- A 4 cup baking dish 2 ½ to 3 inches deep, or 8 half cup ramekins or custard cups
- 1 tablespoon softened butter
A pan of boiling water to hold baking dish or ramekins
2 cups cream sauce flavoured with 1 teaspoon tomato paste and tarragon or parsley
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Smear a light film of butter inside baking dish or ramekins and fill to within 1/8 inch of the top with the liver mixture. When ready to bake, set in pan of boiling water, then place in middle level of preheated oven. Regulate water in pan so it is almost but not quite simmering. The timbale is done when it shows a very faint line of shrinkage from dish, and when a knife plunged into the center comes out clean. Allow about 30 minutes in the oven for a timbale made in a baking dish; about 20, if you use ramekins. (If not served immediately, leave in a pan of water in turned off oven, with door ajar-or reheat if necessary.)
To unmold timbale made in baking dish, allow to settle for 5 minutes if you have just finished baking then run a knife around edge of timbale. Turn a lightly buttered hot serving dish upside down over mold, then reverse the two, giving a sharp downward jerk, and timbale will fall into place. To unmold ramekins, run a knife around the edge of each one, and unmold onto hot plates or a platter, giving a sharp downward jerk for each just at the end.
Pour sauce over and around the timbale or ramekins, and serve immediately, passing the rest of the sauce in a warmed bowl.
Timbales are best as a separate course, with hot French bread and a chilled white Burgundy, Graves, or Traminer.