Duck Liver Mousse and Grilled Dates Comprise the Perfect Fall Bite at Helen

When an importer sent Helen’s Chef/Co-Owner Rob McDaniel fresh Medjool dates last spring, it was right around the same time he was looking for an outlet for byproducts of the Birmingham, Ala. restaurant’s half-duck entrée. “We’d never worked with fresh dates, only dried, and the sugar content seemed perfect to pair with the extra livers from our duck,” says the chef. McDaniel decided to grill the dates over hardwood...