5 replies to this topic

[Andrew Winks]

Hi all,

My first post, so I hope this hasn't been answered somewhere else!
I want to make liver parfait using a whipped cream charger.
The only info I can find online is this,
http://www.hospitali...goes-molecular/

They don't mention any ratios, and I suspect the secret is getting the right consistency for it to work in the whipped cream charger.
Can anyone offer a recipe for this, or any guidance for me?

Cheers,
Winks

[mkayahara]

Not quite the same thing, but maybe you could use this foie gras mousse as a jumping-off point?

[Andrew Winks]

That looks like just what I need. I have had some advice from a chef, who has said it is all about the consistency, about that of custard or a little thicker.
Cheers!

[ScottyBoy]

This is one I did for Chateau Coutet. Of course it doesn't have to be frozen, it sets fine at room temp.

[Baron d'Apcher]

Forgive me, but this query deflates my whipped cream. It offends my stubborn, hopelessly dated, classical, luddite, cheerleader of faded French culinary sensibilities. However, so as not to denigrate the endeavor in its entirety and contribute to the forum, consider the following proportions (though you may have to decrease the fat so that the mixture does not break at an ambient temperature):

4 parts livers
2 parts fat
1 part booze
1 part allium (shallot, onion or leek and eventually mushrooms)
Aromatics, #1 curing salt, spices, whathaveyou,

I am a staunch proponent of producing an exceedingly smooth, deceptively light, richer than Croesus parfait that spreads like warm butter supplemented with Astroglide. The aerated “parfait” Scott links is a bit far from the traditional formulation of what I qualify as a parfait (farce à gratin) and the textures are not comparable. The ingredients and method linked by Mr. Wink is traditional, tried and true…though I have never used cream.

I feel that a whipped cream dispenser is best used to whip cream and that a proper liver parfait is and should always be seared chicken livers, fat, booze, alliums, aromatics, spices and whatever, blended, chilled then covered with aspic (inlaid with suitable garnish) to prevent oxidation. I’ve had far too many whipped imposters and foams, which, though clever, are often veiled shortcuts sidestepping the technique, discipline, and finesse of cookery fundamentals under the guise of progress and never as good as the real McCoy. There seems to be this urge to fabricate dishes differently in an effort to surpass convention by eliciting the wow effect prototypes usually generate at auto shows. More often than not, the novelty fails to trump the taste or practicality. The form excreted from the whipper can be no more elegant than a foamy turd and the sound it makes conjures the cheap thrills of a carnival birthday party. A potted parfait for me elicits a rare standard of craftsmanship and measure of skill. The whipped one, not so much. But my tastes are my own.

[mkayahara]

You know, Baron d'Apcher, I don't disagree with you, except in one regard:

I feel that a whipped cream dispenser is best used to whip cream

I would argue that whipped cream is possibly the worst application for a whipped cream siphon, mostly because it provides you with no control over the final texture. I cringe at the thought of an Irish Coffee being topped with N20-dispensed shaving foam, rather than the flowing, silken cream that should float gently over the mingling coffee and whiskey like a cloud over honeymooning lovers. Mais passons.

My knowledge of the finer points of charcuterie is pretty weak, so I'm unclear on the distinction between a liver parfait and a mousse. Would you be willing to explain why whipping or the inclusion of cream are to be deprecated in a parfait? Thanks!