It’s almost Christmas and time to get prepared for your festive feast! This is an impressive starter that the whole family will enjoy. It can be prepared up the week before and kept refrigerated.
Ingredients
450g room temperature fresh chicken livers, trimmed of all sinew and any bile sacs
75 g banana shallots, finely sliced
2 generous sprigs of thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cloves garlic, peeled and blanched for 10 seconds in boiling water
100ml madeira (preferably medium dry)
100ml port
50ml brandy
5 medium eggs, warmed slightly in a bowl of warm water
400g melted butter
15g fine sea salt
Olive oil
200g unsalted butter for the outisde of the terrine
Method
This recipe is all about preparation - the execution is straight forward. As with all recipes, read several times before starting. Weigh each ingredient and have everything in front of you before starting.
To get the perfect result, ensure your bowls, terrine mould, sieve and ladle are slightly warmed. Using them straight from the dishwasher is a good idea. Also have a large pan of simmering water standing by.
Line your cast iron terrine mould with a double layer of cling film, ensuring plenty of overlap. Cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the top of the terrine for use later. Have your roasting tin standing by with a tea towel, folded in half lengthways. This will stop the bottom of the parfait from getting over cooked.
Pre heat oven to 120 degrees C or 100 degrees C for a fan assisted overn, and let’s go!
Put the madeira, port, brandy, thyme and garlic in a small pan and boil to reduce, until you have just a little bit of syrup left. Discard the thyme.
In a liquidiser, puree the livers with the shallot mixture including the syrup and the salt.
Add the eggs one at a time and continue to blitz until silky smooth.
Add the warm butter in a slow and steady stream, ensuring it is all thoroughly incorporated.
Push the liquidised livers through a fine sieve with the back of the ladle.
Place the terrine on the tea towel. Quickly pour in the mixture. Place the strip of baking parchment on top, followed by a layer of cling film and a layer of tin foil.
Fill the roasting tin with the simmering water until it comes half way up the terrine. Then, place carefully in the oven.
Cook for around 80 minutes, until the terrine just has a bit of a wobble and a temperature probe reads 65 to 70C.
Remove from oven, take out of roasting tin and allow to cool before chilling overnight. When chilled, the butter will solidify to give you the perfect texture.
The terrine is ready to use, but you may want to butter the outside. To do this, soften 200g unsalted butter with a good glug of olive oil until it will spread easily. Remove the parchment, film and foil and spread the butter mixture evenly over the top. Return to the fridge and allow to set. Place a piece of baking parchment loosley over the buttered parfait, allowing for a 2cm border all round. Place your chopping board on top and invert. Gently ease the parfait from the mould and spread the remaining butter on the sides and ends of the parfait.
Store the parfait in the fridge for up to 7 days. Slice with a hot, sharp knife and serve with chutney and toast.
The Perfect Wine Match
Kumeu River Village Pinot Gris, New Zealand 2020
An excellent Kiwi interpretation of Pinot Gris by Michael Brajkovich MW; vibrant and aromatic with a lovely, rounded texture and a hint of spice on the finish. Aromatic nose of white peach and mango fused with a classic floral edge. Lively and vibrant on the palate with crystal clear, refreshing acidity that wraps around a core of further white stone and tropical fruit with added gentle spice on the lingering finish.
Encierra Carmenere, Chile 2019
The fruit on the nose is rich and ripe, with lots of black plums and black cherry and a hint of pepper. The lush, generous palate is packed with damsons, black cherries and blackcurrants. The finish is serious, deep and rich packed with flavour and a lingering note of spice.
