Easy Chicken and Carrot Mousse

This is the recipe for chicken spread I make on regular basis. It has only 4 ingredients, super easy to make and, compared to traditional pates and mousses, has very little fat in it. Chicken, carrot and onion mousse is one out of 4 products, coming from cooking chicken drumsticks with vegetables. I end up with chicken broth, plenty of chicken meat for a protein day lunch, chicken mousse for the week, and grain free vegetable bread, I bake from broth vegetables.

It all starts with a big pot with vegetables and skinless chicken drumsticks.

Ingredients:

chicken and vegetable broth

• 6-7 chicken skinless drumsticks
• 1 onion, cut in 2 pieces
• 2 celery sticks, cut in 4-5 cm sticks
• 2-3 carrots, chopped in chunks
• 1 red capsicum, cut in 6 strips
• 2-3 white cabbage leaves (or cauliflower outer leaves)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, 1 red chili pepper (I use my fermented garlic and chili pepper paste)
• salt and black pepper for seasoning

chicken mousse

• cooked meat from 4 drumsticks
• 2 carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 table spoons of olive oil
• 20-30g unsalted butter (I use olive oil to replace butter now)
• 50 to 70ml chicken broth
• salt and pepper for seasoning

Preparation:

• wash and dry chicken drumsticks, remove the skin
• cook chicken with vegetables on medium heat for 60-70min
• turn the heat off, cover the pot with lid, let it rest for 30, better 60 min. Resting time makes chicken meat very juicy and soft. It can be eaten on its own as only protein lunch.
• heat  2 table spoons of olive oil and 1 table spoon of unsalted butter in a sauce pan
• add onions and carrots, add salt and pepper

• cook carrots and onions on low to medium heat, covered with lid, until soft (15-20min)
• add some chicken broth if vegetables become dry
• use 4 drumsticks from the broth

• separate meat from bones

• add cooked vegetables

• transfer the mix to food processor

• add butter and several table spoons of chicken broth
• blend on high until all ingredients make fine paste
• check seasoning and add more stock if necessary

• if still warm, the consistency of chicken mousse will be very soft, similar to very thick pumpkin soup; when cooled down and refrigerated, mousse is easily spread, still soft, but keeps its shape

Both chicken broth and mousse have a subtle sweetness, added by cabbage and capsicum in a broth, and carrots with onions in a mousse. This mousse has only 1/3 of chicken meat and is not heavy, it tastes more like a spread than any meat pate.

The recipe is very flexible in terms of meat and vegetable ratio, and in butter/broth ratio to chicken and vegetables. You can make it not as soft by adding less liquid, you can reduce quantity of carrots and onions and make more meaty pate. You can also add any spices and fresh herbs. This mousse will keep its freshness refrigerated in air tight container for 5-7days, but is best consumed within 5 days. Fresh herbs better added to ready to eat portion.

This mousse is an easily digested food and can be used as baby food at the time when babies are happily moved to solids. It is also good food for recovery from illness, to restore the ability to eat, with something simple, nourishing and tasty. I never freeze this mousse, but do not see any problems with freezing.