Chicken Liver And Chestnut Parfait Food

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Tip the wine, brandy, shallot and garlic into a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until most of the liquid has reduced, about 3-5 mins, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add half of the livers and sear them for 1 min on each side so they are brown on the outside but still rosy in the middle. Tip into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch any leftover fat. Repeat with the remaining livers and oil.
• Tip the livers into a food processor along with the cooled red wine and shallot mix. Add half the thyme leaves, all the cream and melted butter. Blend to a fine purée and season generously, then pour into a jar, pot or six individual ramekins. Transfer to the fridge to set for 2 hrs.
• Once the parfait has set, sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and spoon over a thin layer of melted clarified butter and put back in the fridge to set the butter. Can be made up to two days ahead and chilled. To serve, toast the brioche and serve with the parfait and a separate pot of chutney for everyone to help themselves.

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH CHESTNUT BISCUITS

Steps:

• Soak livers in milk in a non-reactive container in the fridge to slightly sweeten the livers (overnight), then drain well.
• Preheat oven to 150C. Heat oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add shallot, garlic and thyme and cook until tender and translucent (3-4 minutes). Add tawny, apera and brandy, reduce to 100ml (5-6 minutes), then cool to room temperature. Add livers, butter, eggs and 2 tsp salt, season to taste and cook over low heat until livers are medium-rare (30 seconds-1 minute). Transfer to a blender in batches and blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve into a 750ml, 16cm-square ceramic dish placed in a roasting pan. Pour enough boiling water into pan to come halfway up dish, cover with baking paper and foil and cook until just set and still a little wobbly in the centre (20-25 minutes). Remove dish from pan and set aside to cool, then refrigerate until set (2-4 hours).
• Increase oven to 180C, cut a cross in the end of each chestnut with a sharp knife, roast in a roasting pan until flesh is tender and shells split (10-15 minutes), set aside to cool slightly, then peel while still warm.
• For chestnut biscuits, reduce oven to 165C. Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until pale (2-3 minutes), add milk and 1 tsp sea salt flakes and beat on low speed until incorporated, then sift flours and baking powder over. Finely chop 80gm chestnuts (reserve remainder), add to bowl and fold together (mixture may seem dry at first, but will come together eventually). Pat into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (30 minutes). Roll out on a lightly floured surface to 4mm thick and cut out rounds with a 5cm-diameter cutter. Transfer to 2 oven trays lined with baking paper, refrigerate until firm (20 minutes), then bake until golden (10-12 minutes). Cool on a wire rack. Chestnut biscuits will keep stored in an airtight container for 2 days.
• To serve, scoop liver mixture into a bowl; if pâté is too thick, thin with a little cream. Spoon pâté onto chestnut biscuits, grate fresh chestnut over and scatter with micro-cress.

CHICKEN LIVER AND CHESTNUT PARFAIT

Steps:

• Soak the livers in the milk for 30 minutes to remove any excess blood, then drain well.
• Trim to remove any sinewy bits.
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180 C if you have a fan oven.
• That's about 400 F in a normal convection oven.
• Toss the cooked chestnuts in 1 tsp oil with the rosemary and place on a baking sheet.
• Roast for 10-15 minutes, then set aside.
• Lightly sauté the onion and garlic in 1 tsp oil until soft.
• Melt the butter in a bowl and pour off the clear, yellow butter into a jar, leaving the milky residue behind.
• Keep the butter somewhere warm.
• Add the rest of the oil, the livers and thyme to a large, heated frying pan.
• Season and fry for a minute on each side until they are just pink in the middle.
• Once cooked, add the brandy to the pan and let simmer for a few seconds, then pour it and the livers into a food processor with the cooked onions and garlic.
• Process until smooth, then add three quarters of the melted butter.
• Whizz it in, then pour the whole mix through a sieve, pushing it through with a rubber spatula.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the pate into a serving bowl.
• Arrange the roast chestnuts on top.
• Heat the reserved butter in a frying pan and fry the sage leaves until crisp.
• Spoon the butter and sage over top of the pate and place in the fridge to set.
• Serve with the toasted ciabatta, sliced.

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH APPLE & SAFFRON CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Soak the livers overnight in milk to remove any bitterness. Drain well in a colander. To make the reduction, heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry shallots, herbs and peppercorns for 3-5 mins until the shallots are starting to soften. Add the Cognac and carefully flambé by tipping the pan towards the flame, or use a match.
• Once the flames have subsided, boil the Cognac for a few secs until it reduces down to a couple of tbsp. Add the port and madeira together and boil again for about 10 mins, or until reduced by two thirds. Leave to cool slightly so it's not piping hot.
• Add the livers, eggs, egg yolks and butter into the reduction and stir gently. Once the butter has almost melted, add the salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a blender and blitz for 2 mins or until smooth, scraping the sides down. Strain into a jug; rub the mix against the sieve with the back of a ladle. Discard any sinewy bits left behind.
• Check seasoning, then pour into eight 100ml ovenproof ramekins. Heat the oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Line a heatproof pan with four layers of kitchen towel and sit the ramekins on top. Pour very hot, but not boiling, water into the pan
• Test if the parfaits are ready by tilting one of them to the side - the parfait mix should just bulge slightly at the edge of the ramekin and gently wobble in the middle when shaken gently. (Don't forget that it will keep on cooking as it cools.) Remove the ramekins from the pan, cool then chill for at least 4 hrs or until set.
• Seal the parfaits with butter. Melt the butter in a pan but do not let boil. Whisk in the nutmeg, rosemary and half the thyme leaves. Taste butter for seasoning, then spoon over the parfait tops, sprinkle with the reserved thyme to decorate and return to the fridge to set. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, ginger and a good pinch of sea salt, then fry for 3 mins. Crumble in the saffron, sprinkle in the sugar and carry on cooking for few mins until the sugar melts and starts to caramelise, stirring all the time.
• Tip in the vinegar and apples, then cook for 5 mins until the apples are just softened and coated in a syrupy sauce. Cool and serve. Can be spooned into an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.