Chicken Liver & Pineau Pâté

Ingredients

• 500g chicken livers
• 100g butter
• 100g unsmoked lardons or chopped streaky bacon
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
• 5 tbsp pineau or sherry
• herb sprigs to garnish, rosemary, thyme or bay
• toasted brioche or raisin bread and cornichons, to serve

Preparation

Serves 6-8 as a snack or starter

1. Rinse the chicken livers and cut away any dark patches and small stringy threads. Pat dry with kitchen paper. Heat 25g of the butter in a frying pan until foaming, then add the lardons or bacon and fry until crisp. Add the garlic, chicken livers and thyme and fry briskly for about 5 mins, until they are evenly browned. They should be nicely browned on the outside, but pink inside and should feel squashy when pressed.
2. Add the pineau, salt and pepper, then bubble for a few mins. Remove from the heat. Blitz the mixture in a food processor until smooth, then spoon into a jar or dish. Smooth the top.
3. Melt the remaining butter, put a herb sprig or bay leaf on top of the pâté and pour over the butter, leaving the sediment behind. Leave to cool, then chill until set.4 Serve spooned from the dish with toasted brioche, a bowl of cornichons and a little sea salt.