All your ingredients should be at room temperature when mixing, otherwise they might split.
TO DRINK: A nutty, off-dry sherry works well with rich, earthy dishes.
Chicken liver parfait
Ingredients
- 500g chicken livers
- 500ml (2 cups) milk
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 shallots or small onions, finely diced
- 6 sprigs thyme, leaves only
- 375ml (½ bottle) port
- 375ml (½ bottle) sherry
- 500g butter, melted
- 1 large egg yolk
- Maldon salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste
Instructions
Soak the livers in the milk overnight to remove any bitterness.
Next day, place the garlic, shallots and thyme in a saucepan with the port and sherry. Simmer until reduced to a thick syrup and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 150°C.
Rinse the livers and pat dry with paper towel. Clean them by cutting away any veins and visible fat.
In a food processor, blend the livers with the syrup reduction and slowly add the butter in a steady stream, blending continuously. Once the butter is well incorporated, mix in the egg yolk. Pass the mixture through a fine sieve and season.
Pour into a terrine mould lined with plastic wrap. Place in a bain marie or oven tray with hot water halfway up the sides of the terrine dish. Bake for about 45 minutes. Test with a probe thermometer and remove from the oven once the centre has reached 68°C. (If you don’t have a probe thermometer, take a tiny amount from the centre of the parfait with a paring knife, wipe clean and place the knife on your bottom lip – it should be hot, but not burn you.)
Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the water. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before serving.
Serve thin slices of the parfait with toast and preserved figs or fruit chutney.
