Recipes Turkey Liver Mousse Toasts with Pickled Shallots 5.0 (666) 1 Review Try this hors d'oeuvre for your next gathering. By Allison Vines-Rushing Allison Vines-Rushing Allison Vines-Rushing is a James Beard Award-winning chef who is celebrated for her French-inspired interpretation of modern Southern and New Orleans cuisine. She has been featured in The New York Times, New York Observer, Gourmet, Bon Appetit, and Art Culinaire. Allison opened the critically acclaimed New Orleans restaurant MiLa and co-authored the cookbook Southern Comfort: A New Take on Recipes We Grew Up With (2012).Experience: Allison Vines-Rushing's experience externing at New Orleans institution Brennan's and Gerard's Downtown offered her the opportunity to explore her Southern roots. She furthered her classical French training at Picholine and the venerable Alain Ducasse in New York City. Allison garnered accolades for applying those French techniques to her modern interpretation of New Orleans cuisine at Jack's. After winning the James Beard Award for Rising Star Chef in 2004, she returned to the South with her husband, chef Slade Rushing, to open Longbranch in 2005, followed by the critically acclaimed MiLa at the Renaissance Pere Marquette hotel in 2007. Her work has been featured in The New York Times, New York Observer, Gourmet, The Times-Picayune, Bon Appetit, and Art Culinaire, among others. Most recently, Allison was imparting her knowledge and expertise teaching at the New Orleans Culinary & Hospitality Institute.Education: Allison earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Florida State University and attended the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Slade Rushing Updated on November 20, 2019 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Petrina Tinslay Active Time: 50 mins Total Time: 2 hrs Yield: 10 This hors d'oeuvre is a Louisiana riff on traditional French chicken liver pâté. The Rushings create a silken mousse with livers from the quintessentially American bird, turkey, but you can also use chicken livers. Instead of cornichons, the little French pickles, the Rushings add a sweet-and-tangy Southern accent—pickled shallots. Fast Hors d'Oeuvres Ingredients Mousse 1 pound turkey or chicken livers, trimmed 1 cup milk 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/2 sweet red apple, cored and chopped 1 large shallot, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 sage leaf 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 tablespoon bourbon 1/3 cup heavy cream 1 baguette, sliced 1/3 inch thick on the diagonal Pickled Shallots 1/2 cup sugar 1/2 cup cider vinegar 4 large shallots (1/2 pound), thinly sliced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 thyme sprig Directions MAKE THE BAGUETTE TOASTS In a medium bowl, cover the livers with the milk and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the apple, shallot, garlic, sage, cinnamon, pepper and 1 teaspoon of the salt and cook over moderate heat until the shallot is softened, about 4 minutes. Drain the turkey livers and pat dry. Add them to the skillet and cook until just pink inside, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the bourbon and simmer for 1 minute. Transfer the contents of the skillet to a food processor. Add the cream and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt and puree until smooth. Scrape the mousse into a small bowl and refrigerate until firm enough to spread, at least 4 hours. In a small saucepan, combine the sugar with the vinegar and simmer over moderate heat until the sugar dissolves. Add the shallots, salt, pepper and thyme and simmer over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened, about 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the shallots pickle for 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shallots from the brine and spread on a plate to cool. Discard the thyme sprig. Transfer to a bowl for serving. Preheat the oven to 350°. Spread the baguette slices on baking sheets and toast for about 7 minutes per side, or until lightly browned. Serve the mousse with the toasts and the pickled shallots. Make Ahead Pour a layer of cooled, melted butter over the chilled mousse. Cover tightly with plastic and refrigerate for up to 5 days. The drained shallots can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Scrape the butter off the mousse before serving. Rate it Print