Chicken Liver Parfait

Best with No. 3 Pinot Noir Vermouth

Ingredients

• 400g chicken livers
• 500g milk
• 500g water
• 10g  salt
• 50ml dry Madeira
• 100ml In the loop dry white vermouth
• 50ml Cognac
• 80g shallots sliced thinly
• 2 sprigs thyme 
• 1 clove garlic sliced thinly
• 5 medium eggs
• 400g unsalted butter, melted and kept warm

Equipment

• Food processor/blender
• Sieve
• Terrine mould/loaf tin
• Saucepan
• Ladle
• Temperature probe

Method

Soak the chicken livers in the cold milk and water with 5g of the salt in a shallow dish for at least an hour. This will draw out any impurities which make the livers bitter and gives you a better flavour. Drain and rinse the livers. Preheat the oven to 130°C.

Put the Madeira, Vermouth, shallots, thyme, garlic and Cognac in a saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce by half and remove the pan from the heat.

Place the drained chicken livers and the shallot mixture in a blender or food processor and start blending on a fast setting. Whilst blending, add the eggs one at a time, and ensure that they are fully incorporated before adding the next one.

Now slowly add the melted butter (too fast and it will split). Add the last of the salt at this stage and blend for 30 seconds.

Line the base and sides of the terrine mould or loaf tin with greaseproof paper, leaving a slight overlap above the top of the tin. Alternatively you could line individual cocottes or mason jars.

Press the parfait mixture through a fine sieve to remove anything that has not blended correctly, then pour into the terrine tin and cover with another piece of greaseproof paper cut to fit.

Place the terrine in a deep baking tray and place the tray in the oven. Then pour boiling water into the tray until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the sides of the tin. Cover the whole tray in foil and close the oven door.

After around 30 minutes, probe the parfait in the centre of the mix. Once it reaches 65°C, turn the oven off and remove the tin from the tray. Allow it to cool at room temperature for a further 30 minutes before placing in the fridge in its tin. 

Once set, the parfait can be enjoyed with a variety of condiments. For a nice crunch, sprinkle the top with demerara sugar and blow torch.