Chicken Liver Parfait is a traditional British recipe for a classic pâté-like starter of lightly-fried chicken livers puréed with brandy and couble cream in butter that's set by chilling in a terrine dish. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic American version of: Chicken Liver Parfait.
(click this button to prevent the screen from sleeping so Cook Mode is 'ON')
A parfait is subtype of pâté where the livers are puréed whilst raw before being mixed with the other ingredients and then cooked in a bain marie. This version, however, lightly fries the liver before pureeing.
Ingredients:
200g butter, melted (keep them in the pan you heated them in)
1kg chicken livers
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 tbsp brandy
4 tbsp double cream
A few crushed black peppercorns, to garnish
Method:
clean the chicken livers well, removing and discarding any greenish sections and sinewy bits.
Heat 2 tbsp of the melted butter in a heavy-based frying pan. When the butter begins to foam, add in the chicken livers.
Cook the livers gently for 3-4 minutes, carefully moving them around, but don't allow them to brown. (You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan.) Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Add the brandy to the pan and carefully flame for a few seconds to burn off the alcohol. take off the heat and allow the livers to cool slightly.
Spoon the livers (not including the cooking juices) into the bowl of a food processor and process to a paste. With the motor running, add most of the remaining butter (reserving two tablespoons for the top) in a steady stream. Don't add the milk solids that will have sunk to the bottom of the pan.
With the motor still running, add the double cream and blend for a few more seconds. The liver mixture should be fairly smooth.
Pass the liver mixture through a fine-meshed sieve, pushing the mixture through with a wooden spoon into a bowl, discarding any hard bits that remain in the sieve (this will take about 10-15 minutes). This will yield an ultra-smooth parfait.
Spoon the parfait into a terrine dish and smooth the surface with a knife, if necessary. Sprinkle a few crushed peppercorns on top and pour over the reserved melted butter. Place in the fridge to cool and set firm for at least two hours.
Using a spoon heated in hot water, scoop the parfait out onto a serving plate. Serve with toasted brioche and some mixed baby salad leaves.
