Chicken Liver Mousse

Place the cleaned livers in a large bowl. Toss with a generous pinch of pink curing salt, if using, and let sit for up to 30 minutes. While the livers cure, start to caramelize the onions.

Heat the canola oil and butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat until the butter is melted. Add the onions and 2 tablespoons of salt. Cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon to avoid burning, until the onions caramelize evenly, 20 to 25 minutes. Stir in the thyme and deglaze the pan with the port. Use the wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot and release all the caramelized flavor that has formed at the bottom.

Once the port has almost completely boiled off, add the livers and stir. Cook the livers until they are medium-rare and rosy red, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat. Working in batches, transfer the livers and onions to a blender and blend with the cream cheese on high speed until mousse-like, 2 to 3 minutes. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a large bowl and use a rubber spatula to press the mixture through the sieve for an even, creamy texture. Between the curing salt and the salted onions, you likely won’t have to season the mousse with even more salt, but it’s always good to taste and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Chill the mousse in an airtight container in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours before serving.

To plate: Melt a few tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the bread (working in batches and adding more butter if needed) and griddle on each side until toasty and golden brown. Schmear the cold liver mousse over the bread. Garnish with flaky salt and pepper and a little olive oil; plus the dill and shallot if you’d like.

*Salting is an optional step that keeps the livers from turning gray while cooking. If you don’t have pink curing salt, just rinse and drain the livers before cooking.

– Second Generation: Hungarian and Jewish Classics Reimagined for the Modern Table