Melt in the Mouth Chicken Liver Pate

A simple sauteed chicken liver pate flavoured with caramalised onions, garlic and thyme. It is extremely unctuous and full of butter and cream! Though this is quick and easy to prepare it does need at least 3 hours chilling time and will benefit from being made a day in advance and left in the fridge until needed. Remove from fridge 20 minutes before serving.

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 450  g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
• 1  onion, diced
• 1⁄4 teaspoon brown sugar
• 675  g chicken livers (cleaned i.e. remove any green bits)
• 2  garlic cloves, diced
• 3  tablespoons  double cream
• 2  teaspoons fresh thyme or 2  teaspoons  lemon thyme leaves
• 1  tablespoon lemon juice
•  salt and pepper (to season)

Directions

1. Melt 20g butter in a large heavy-based pan , add onions and brown sugar, cover pan and sweat over a low heat for 5 minutes.
2. Uncover pan, stir onions and cook on a medium heat for 10 minutes or until they are soft and starting to colour.
3. Add another 100g of butter to the pan and allow it to melt.
4. Add chicken livers, garlic and thyme leaves and continue to cook on a medium heat, stirring every so often to ensure the mixture doesn't "catch" (stick or burn) until livers are no longer pink.
5. Transfer mixture to a food processor and leave to cool.
6. Add lemon juice to pan to deglaze and add to pate mixture.
7. Add remaining butter, cream, salt and pepper to the mixture and process until smooth.
8. Check seasoning and adjust as necessary.
9. If you like this consistency then all you need do is spoon the pate into a serving dish, cover with clingfilm and chill for at least 3 hours. However I pass the pate through a fine metal mesh sieve before chilling it.
10. Serve with hot wholemeal toast, warm soda bread or crostini.