Chicken Parfait
(Chicken Liver Pate)

It has to be said that I used to love going to the deli to get some really good pate to be enjoyed with a nice bottle of wine when friends came around. Then, after meeting my wife it all changed, she made me some of her Chicken Parfait and the bought stuff never quite tasted the same again.

Ingredients

250 g chicken livers
100 g butter
4 French shallots
2 cloves of garlic
1 tbsp of mixed fresh herbs: thyme, rosemary, parsley
50 g of streaky bacon, Rinds removed
1 tbsp of Balsamic vinegar
30 ml thickened cream
30 ml of Port
Salt and White pepper to taste

To decorate: a few peppercorns, a sprig of rosemary and a fresh bay leaf.
To serve: Pickles and toasted bread.

Directions

Trim the chicken livers, removing all tubes, membrane and fine stringy sinews that would be unpleasant in the mouth.

Cut the streaky bacon into one to two centimetre pieces.

Roughly chop the shallots, finely slice the garlic cloves and chop the fresh herbs finely.

In a large saucepan, melt 30 g of the butter. Cook shallots, garlic and fresh herbs until soft before putting them aside in a bowl.

Using the same pan, melt another 30g of the butter. Add the bacon to the pan and cook for a couple of minutes.

At this point, add the Chicken Livers and cook until brown on each side. Do not overcook the livers! They should stay soft and slightly pink in the middle. When the livers are almost cooked you should season to taste with the salt and pepper.

Next, place all of the cooked ingredients as well as the remaining butter into your food processor bowl. Return the pan to the heat and deglaze using the port and vinegar. Allow the mixture to reduce for a few minutes before adding it to the food processor bowl as well.

Process the mixture for a couple of minutes until you obtain a smooth paste. Then, add the cream and process for another minute to combine. Check and adjust the seasoning as required.

Pass the mixture through a fine metal sieve to remove any larger lumps. Work in small batches working the parfait through the sieve using a plastic spatula.

Spoon the mixture into a ceramic pot making sure to work it around with a spoon so you end up with a nice smooth surface on top. Decorate by arranging the Bay leaf, rosemary sprig and peppercorns in a nice pattern. Then, cover with cling film and refrigerate the parfait overnight.

Serve the Chicken parfait with toasted slices of crusty bread and pickles.
The parfait will keep refrigerated up to 3 days.

Notes:
We have chosen to put the pate into one large pot that can be shared. However, it can also be divided into four smaller separate pots for use as individual portions if you’d prefer.

Chicken livers are favoured because of their mild and soft texture however, Duck livers can also be used. Take care not to overcook them or they will toughen.

Preperation time: 1 hour
Recipe By Tatiana, Flavoursome Delights