Serving size: Serves 10 or more
Cuisine type: French
Cooking time: More than 1 hour
Course: Finger food, Snacks
Favourite flavours: Chicken

Chicken liver pate

INGREDIENTS

500g chicken livers, trimmed
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 eggs
300ml thickened cream
250g cold salted cultured butter, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
toasted brioche and cornichons to serve

port and currant gel
¾ cup packed currants
¾ cup port

METHOD

Place chicken livers and milk in a large bowl and refrigerate over night. Strain before use and discard milk.

To make port and currant gel, pour port over currants in a medium bowl and leave at room temperature over night to macerate.

Place macerated currants and port in a food processor and blend until smooth. Push mixture through a fine sieve and set aside.

Preheat oven to 140°C/120°C fan forced. Grease and line an 8 cup capacity terrine pan with baking paper.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and cook onion, garlic and thyme for 3 minutes or until onions are translucent.

Add livers and cook a further 3 minutes or until all sides are sealed making sure the livers are still medium rare.

Place in blender, add alcohol, currants and blend for 2 minutes or until smooth.

While motor is still running add egg and cream; blend a further 2 minutes.

Gradually add butter and continue blending until smooth and well incorporated.

Season with salt and pepper. Pour into prepared pan.

Place into a large baking dish and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of pan.

Loosely cover with foil and bake in oven for 35-40 minutes or until the centre of the pate is wobbly and the out sides are semi set. Remove from baking dish and discard foil. Refrigerate overnight or until cold.

To serve, turn out pate onto a clean flat plate. Serve with toasted brioche and drizzle with port and currant gel. Best served at room temp.