Chicken Liver & Pineau Pâté

Total Time: 20 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 500 g chicken livers (1 1/3 lbs)
• 100 g butter (3 1/2 oz)
• 100 g unsmoked lardons (3 1/2 ozs) or 100 g chopped streaky bacon (3 1/2 ozs)
• 1 garlic cloves, crushed or 1 finely chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 5 tablespoons pineau des charentes wine or 5 tablespoons sherry wine
• herbs, sprigs rosemary, thyme (to garnish) or bay leaf
• toasted brioche bread, to serve
• raisin bread, to serve
• cornichon, to serve

Recipe

• 1 rinse the chicken livers and cut away any dark patches and small stringy threads.
• 2 pat dry with kitchen towelling.
• 3 heat 25g (7/8 oz) of the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then add the lardons or bacon and fry until crisp.
• 4 add the garlic, chicken livers and thyme and fry briskly for about 5 mins, until they are evenly browned.
• 5 they should be nicely browned on the outside, but pink inside
• 6 and should feel squashy when pressed.
• 7 add the pineau, salt and pepper, then bubble for a few minutes
• 8 remove from the heat.
• 9 blitz the mixture in a food processor until smooth, then spoon into a jar or dish.
• 10 smooth the top.
• 11 melt the remaining butter, put an herb swig or bay leaf on top of the pâté and pour over the butter, leaving the sediment behind.
• 12 leave to cool, then chill until set.
• 13 serve spooned from the dish with toasted brioche a bowl of cornichons and a little sea salt.