Created by Antoine Fontaine, chef at the Mouton Village restaurant
www.moutonvillage.com
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♦ 200 g of trimmed chicken liver
♦ 3 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
♦ 1/2 cup of Capiteux wine
♦ 150 g of cold butter
♦ 1/2 cup of 35% cream
♦ 75 g of sweetened dried currants
♦ Salt and pepper to taste
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Macerate the dried currants in the Capiteux for 1 hour.
In a saucepan, cover the chicken livers with water and the cider vinegar.
Poach on low heat for about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat, drain, sponge dry with an absorbent paper towel, and let cool.
While the livers cool, drain the currants, keeping the Capiteux.
Pour the Capiteux into a saucepan ans let il reduce over high heat until syrupy consistency.
Remove from heat and add the cold cream.
Put the livers, butter, and the Capiteux / cream mixture into a food processor.
Blend until the mixture reaches a smooth, creamy consistency.
Add the currants, which have been reconstituted with Capiteux, and blend by pulsing so as not to puree the fruits.
Season, taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Pour into ramekins and refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Created by Marianne Blain-Fortin
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♦ 1 cup of unbleached white flour
♦ 1 cup of corn flour
♦ 1/2 cup of sugar
♦ 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder
♦ 1 tsp of salt
♦ 2 eggs
♦ 1/2 cup of grape seed oil
♦ 1 banana
♦ Zest of one lemon
♦ 1 cup of fresh or frozen black currants
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Combine all of the dry ingredients.
In another bowl, mix together the beaten eggs, mashed banana, oil, and zest.
Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon. The texture of the batter should be grainy.
Add the black currants and mix well to evenly distribute them in the batter.
Butter and fill the muffin moulds.
Bake for 25 minutes at 350° C.
This recipe yields about 8 large or 12 smaller muffins.
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Cooking tip : When a recipe calls for citrus zest, make sure to use organic fruit.

♦ ½ litre maderized wine
♦ 3 cups sugar
♦ 1 (85 ml) pouch of Certo liquid (fruit pectin)
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Combine the wine and sugar.
Bring to a boil on very high heat.
Add pectin and return to a hard boil for one minute.
Skim and pour into preserve jars.

♦ 3 litres of black Kalamata olives (keep the 1/3 of the liquid)
♦ 1 cup of Capiteux
♦ 1 1/4 cups of black currant syrup
♦ 1 cup of herbes de provences
♦ Minced garlic (to taste)
♦ Salt and pepper

Created by Mathieu Giroux
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♦ For 60 chocolates (bouchées)
♦ 500 g black chocolate 75% (preferably Tanzani, Baril chocolate)
♦ 400 g crème de cassis
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Melt chocolate in a double boiler.
Warm the crème de cassis in the microwave for about 45 seconds.
Mix together the chocolate and crème de cassis using a spatula (not a whisk).
Leave overnight in the refrigerator.
With a spoon, form small ganache balls and round them in the palm of your hand. Roll in cacao.

Makes around 6 custard cups
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♦ 700 ml whipping cream (35%)
♦ 300 ml milk (2%)
♦ 250 ml egg yolks
♦ 250 ml sugar
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Heat the liquids (cream and milk) with half of the sugar.
Heat the egg yolks with the other half of the sugar. Mix briskly to whiten. When the liquids begin to simmer, pour onto the whitened egg yolks. Continue mixing with a whisk.
Strain with a cheesecloth to obtain a smooth mixture (without egg or sugar lumps).
Allow to cool, cover with plastic and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
The next day, a thin crust will have formed on the surface. Skim it off carefully with a spoon.
Place the custard cups on a sheet pan and fill them three-quarter full with the mixture. Place five or six black currant berries (fresh or frozen) at the center of each cup and fill the sheet with water (up to half the height of the cups).
Bake in the oven at 300 F for around one hour. Take out of the oven when the consistency resembles that of Jello.
Allow to cool on a counter, then place in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours before serving.
Sprinkle a thin layer of sugar on the surface and burn with a cooking torch or broil in the oven under a watchful eye.

A creation of the restaurant Le Moine Échanson (585 rue Saint-Jean, Québec City)
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♦ 4 egg yolks
♦ 200 ml sweet white wine
♦ 75 ml crème de cassis
♦ 50 g (slightly more than 3 tbsp) sugar
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Place the egg yolks in a saucepan. Add the sweet wine, crème de cassis and sugar. Mix briskly.
Place the saucepan on low heat and blend with a whisk. When the mixture begins to foam, remove from heat and continue to whisk until it thickens.
Keep in the refrigerator until it is time to serve.

This vinaigrette is used in the salad that accompanies our duck leg confit with berry jam (saskatoon, black currant, blueberry and raspberry). It is also delicious with a leek appetizer.
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♦ 1/2 tbsp (8 ml) Dijon mustard
♦ 4 tsp (20 ml) black currant or balsamic vinegar
♦ 1/2 cup (125 ml) black currant syrup
♦ 2/3 cup (170 ml) vegetable oil
♦ Salt and pepper
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Mix the Dijon mustard and the black currant syrup. (You can also use crème de cassis instead of syrup.)
Pour the mustard and syrup mixture into a blender and gradually add the vegetable oil. Blend until smooth. Add the vinegar, then salt and pepper to taste.
This vinaigrette can be stored at room temperature.

Serves 4
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♦ Mesclun
♦ 4 slices Paillot de chèvre goat cheese – 3 ½ oz (100 g) each slice
♦ 4 thick slices of grilled grain bread
♦ Dried fruit
♦ Mix equal parts of crème de cassis and honey
♦ La Monnaguette vinaigrette (see recipe)
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Place the goat cheese on the grilled bread and broil for 2 minutes.
In the meantime, add the vinaigrette to the mesclun and dried fruit. Toss.
Place the cheese and bread on the salad and drizzle a bit of the honey-crème de cassis mix onto the cheese.

♦ 4 cups (400 g) Spanish onions, cut into thin slices
♦ 2 cups (200 g) red onions, cut into thin slices
♦ ½ cup (110 g) sugar
♦ A drizzle of olive oil
♦ ½ cup (125 ml) black currant syrup or crème de cassis
♦ A sprinkle of lemon juice
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In a large saucepan, heat the olive oil on medium beat and sauté the onions. Add the sugar and keep stirring. Once the onions are slightly transparent, remove from heat and drain well.
Return the onions to the large saucepan, add the black currant syrup or crème de cassis and lemon juice.
Cook on high heat and reduce to desired consistency.