Calvados Gelee Recipes

Steps:

• For mousse:
• Mellow the flavor of the chicken livers by placing them in a glass bowl with 2 cups milk. Cover; chill for 2 hours. Drain; discard milk. Return livers to same bowl, add the remaining 2 cups milk, cover, and chill for 2 more hours (or overnight). Drain; discard milk and rinse livers. Pat dry with paper towels.
• Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl; set aside. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallots are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add livers, increase heat to medium, and cook, turning once, until livers are firm but still pink inside, about 4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and stir in Calvados. Return to heat; cook until Calvados is reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Discard thyme.
• Transfer liver mixture to a food processor; add 2 teaspoons salt and pepper. Process until smooth. With processor running, add remaining butter by tablespoonfuls until all butter is incorporated. Transfer mousse to prepared strainer. Using a rubber spatula, press mousse through strainer. Rinse and dry strainer, then strain mousse again, discarding solids in strainer. Divide among small jars. Chill until firm, 1-2 hours.
• For gelée and toasts:
• Place 1/4 cup water in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand until softened, about 10 minutes. Microwave gelatin mixture until gelatin dissolves and mixture becomes clear, about 30 seconds. Add sugar; stir until dissolved. Stir in wine.
• Spoon gelée over mousse in jars, forming a 1/4" layer (not all gelée may be used). Top each jar with thyme sprigs or leaves, if desired. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until gelée is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD: Can be made 3 days ahead. Keep chilled.
• Preheat oven to 450°F. Arrange bread triangles on a rimmed baking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake until golden brown, about 5 minutes. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.
• Let mousse soften slightly at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving with toasts.

Steps:

• Fill a medium saucepan with 2 cups plus 2 tablespoons water and agar agar powder; whisk to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat; add sugar and remove from heat. Add calvados and pour mixture into a 13-by-13-inch nonstick baking dish. Refrigerate until set before cutting into cubes.

Steps:

• In a small bowl sprinkle gelatin over water to soften 1 minute. In a saucepan combine cider and sugar and bring to a rolling boil. Boil mixture, skimming froth, until reduced to 2 cups. Stir in brandy and lemon juice and pour through a sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened cheesecloth or paper towel into a bowl. Stir gelatin mixture into hot cider mixture, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir mixture well and divide among four 1/2-cup molds. Chill gelées until firm, at least 3 hours, and up to 2 days.
• To unmold gelées, dip bottoms of molds, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edges of molds and invert gelées onto 4 small dessert plates.
• Serve gelées with small bunches of grapes alongside.

Steps:

• Heat the puree over medium-high heat in a saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Mix the pectin with half the sugar to "dilute" it. When the puree reaches 100 degrees F, add the pectin/sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add the remaining sugar and the corn syrup and cook until the mixture reaches 225 degrees F, stirring slowly and constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the bottom and sides.
• Dissolve the ascorbic acid in 1 teaspoon of water. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the ascorbic acid. Pour into a baking dish lined with a silpat or parchment paper, and let set for at least overnight, until gelled and firm. Cut neatly into rectangles 1-inch by 1 1/2 inches. Spread a few tablespoons of sugar in a dish and roll each square in sugar, to coat. Wrap individually in cellophane or store in an airtight container. At room temperature, they keep up to 4 weeks.
• Notes about the recipe: When golden-brown cookies and dark-brown chocolates threaten to overwhelm my petit-four trays, I can always depend on the bright garnet sparkle of these candies, lively in color and flavor. In France, where I learned to make them, gelees come in a tremendous range of colors and flavors, from grass-green kiwi to deep purple blackberry.
• And if you're a fan of Chuckles candies, these will blow your mind. Pectin is a natural fruit gelatin that you can buy in powder form, especially during canning season (June-October). Ascorbic acid, a natural antioxidant available at health-food stores, keeps the color bright.

Steps:

• Put calvados, cider, and shallots in a saucepan.
• Bring to a rapid boil and simmer until volume is reduced by half.
• Strain out the shallots, return reduced liquid to pan.
• Bring to a boil and whisk in cream and butter just prior to serving.