Dressy chicken in aspic surrounding chicken liver mousse

Julienne the carrots, celery and leeks and put them in a Dutch oven with salt, black pepper, the bay leaves and the dried tarragon.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper, cut it down and bury it in the vegetables.

Pour in the chicken broth and the white wine to just cover, topping up with a little more of each.

Bring to a simmer for 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through, then turn off the heat and steep 10 minutes.

Trim the chicken livers.

Blend the gelatin into the three quarter cup of chicken stock.

Melt the four tablespoons of butter, soften the minced onion until translucent, then raise the heat, add the livers and toss two to two and a half minutes until springy and rosy red inside.

Season with pepper, salt and a pinch of tarragon, add the port and boil down 30 seconds, then remove the livers.

Add the stock and gelatin to the pan and simmer until the gelatin dissolves, then whisk in the stick of butter a little at a time over low heat.

Puree the cottage cheese in the food processor with the gelatin base, then add the livers and onions and puree; season with salt, pepper and a pinch of tarragon.

Pass the mixture through a sieve into a bowl for a smooth texture.

Line a mold with plastic wrap, fill with the mousse, cover and chill several hours until set.

Skin the cooked chicken, take the two breasts and debone the thighs, and chill until needed.

Bring the seven and a half cups of chicken stock to a simmer in a clean saucepan.

Whisk the egg whites slowly into the remaining cup of cold stock, dribble in a cup of the hot stock to temper, then whisk that mixture into the simmering stock.

Over moderate-high heat bring back to a simmer with constant circulation, then stop; move the pan to the side of the heat so it barely bubbles in one spot, turning a quarter turn every five minutes for three turns.

Ladle the stock and the coagulated egg whites into a dampened cheesecloth folded three times over a sieve and colander and let it drip through without pushing.

Stir the port wine and the two packets of gelatin into the clarified stock.

Pour about a cup of the aspic into a small saucepan set in a bowl of ice and water to chill and thicken.

Set the chicken on a drying rack over a baking tray, pinning pieces with a toothpick where needed.

Slice the green onion thinly, blanch 10 seconds in boiling water, then chill it in the ice water holding the aspic and dry on paper towel.

Pour the remaining aspic onto the serving platter and chill until nearly set.

Spoon two coats of the thickened aspic over the chicken, chill 10 minutes, then add another coat.

Dip the green onion, olives and red pepper in the aspic and adhere them to the chicken, then spoon over a final coat and chill 10 minutes.

Unmold the chicken liver mousse onto the set aspic in the centre of the platter and smooth it with an offset spatula.

Chill until fully set; the book says around 20 minutes but it took a little over three hours in total.