Chicken Liver Mousse With Candied Bacon

Ingredients

• 1 pound chicken livers
• 3 teaspoons salt
• ¼ teaspoon pepper
• Large pinch curing salt (available at grocery stores or from thespicehouse.com)
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted, 2 tablespoons reserved for searing livers
• 3 shallots, minced
• 1 apple, peeled and grated
• 3 tablespoons apple eau-de-vie
• 5 medium-thin slices bacon
• Maple sugar or brown sugar
• Crackers, for serving

Directions

1. Make the chicken-liver mousse: Dry the livers thoroughly and season them with salt, pepper and curing salt. In a skillet, heat the 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat. Working in batches, sear the livers for about 30 seconds per side; they should still be bright pink in the center (cut one in half and peek). Transfer the cooked livers to a plate.
2. Add the shallot and apple to the pan and cook until golden brown. Transfer to the plate with the reserved livers and deglaze the pan with the eau-de-vie.
3. Combine the livers, shallots and apples in a blender. With the blender running, add the remaining melted butter and eau-de-vie from the pan. Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer using the back of a spoon to push it through. Transfer the mousse to a dish and refrigerate for at least 3 hours before serving.
4. Make the candied bacon: Preheat the oven to 400° (use convection heat if possible). Place the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and sprinkle it liberally with the maple sugar; let it sit for a few minutes.
5. Bake the bacon for 5 minutes, or until the sugar has completely melted. Drain off the fat and allow the bacon to cool on the baking sheet. Ten minutes before serving, sprinkle the bacon with another layer of the maple sugar. Return the pan to the oven and bake until cooked through. Let the bacon cool; it should become brittle. Break each slice of bacon into 4 pieces. 6.To serve, spread the mousse on crackers and top each with a piece of candied bacon.