Chicken Liver and Chestnut Parfait

Submitted by Sackville

"Posted by request, from BBC Good Food Magazine, December 2004."

 

• Ready In: 30mins
• Ingredients: 12
• Serves: 6-8

ingredients

• 300 g chicken livers
• 1 cup milk, for soaking
• 200 g vaccuum packed chestnuts
• 4 teaspoons oil, for frying
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 800 g unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 200 ml brandy
• 2 sage leaves
• 1 ciabatta, to serve

directions

1. Soak the livers in the milk for 30 minutes to remove any excess blood, then drain well.
2. Trim to remove any sinewy bits.
3. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C if you have a fan oven.
4. That's about 400 F in a normal convection oven.
5. Toss the cooked chestnuts in 1 tsp oil with the rosemary and place on a baking sheet.
6. Roast for 10-15 minutes, then set aside.
7. Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tsp oil until soft.
8. Melt the butter in a bowl and pour off the clear, yellow butter into a jar, leaving the milky residue behind.
9. Keep the butter somewhere warm.
10. Add the rest of the oil, the livers and thyme to a large, heated frying pan.
11. Season and fry for a minute on each side until they are just pink in the middle.
12. Once cooked, add the brandy to the pan and let simmer for a few seconds, then pour it and the livers into a food processor with the cooked onions and garlic.
13. Process until smooth, then add three quarters of the melted butter.
14. Whizz it in, then pour the whole mix through a sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula.
15. Season with salt and pepper.
16. Spoon the pate into a serving bowl.
17. Arrange the roast chestnuts on top.
18. Heat the reserved butter in a frying pan and fry the sage leaves until crisp.
19. Spoon the butter and sage over top of the pate and place in the fridge to set.
20. Serve with the toasted ciabatta, sliced.