You see chicken liver pâté everywhere but my expectations are high – I want really high levels of butter and really pink soft tasty livers, so I started to make my own. I have often served this at supper clubs as you can make it well in advance, then if you seal the top with a thick layer of butter it keeps for a long time. Buy the best chicken livers you can, free-range and organic; they are cheap and you can tell the difference.
SERVES 6
• 300g fresh chicken livers
• 105g butter
• 1 tbsp brandy
• 1 tbsp Madeira
• 1/2 garlic clove, peeled and grated
• 1 large sprig of thyme
• salt and pepper
EQUIPMENT
• sterilized ceramic ramekins or storage containers
Check over the chicken livers and snip out the tubes in the middle, gristle or anything that is green or not liver-coloured with a pair of scissors.
Melt 25g of the butter in a pan until sizzling, then add the livers and cook gently for 5 minutes, turning them constantly until they look cooked on the outside. When they are browned, remove the livers from the pan with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl.
Add the brandy and Madeira to the pan. Increase the heat briefly and let the alcohol burn off. Add the garlic and thyme to the chicken livers, then pour the boozy butter into the bowl and 30g of the remaining butter, then dice and pound the mixture. I use the pestle from my pestle and mortar. You are aiming to break down the livers but not remove all the texture. When it is all mixed and the butter has melted, season with salt and pepper then pour the mixture into ceramic ramekins or storage containers.
Melt the remaining 50g butter in a small pan, then pour it over the top to seal the livers. Serve with hot toast and a sweet pickle.