Chicken Liver Pate

We all borrow recipes from great communicators, and I think Nigel Slater is one of the best down-to-earth writers I have ever read. So I am not changing much of his recipe, a bit more brandy, a bit more butter, and I tend to overload the pan with more livers than is probably proper, sorry Nigel.

500g Chicken Livers - Some butchers do them fresh/frozen in big bags, otherwise just use the ones they have frozen in pots. Defrost. Check over the livers and trim off any dark green bits. I have found that the ones in pots give a subtler flavour as apposed to free range ones from the butcher.

Milk
Brandy
150g Unsalted Butter
Freshly ground Black Pepper
Cream - Single or Double or Whipping (each gives a different taste/texture)

1] Put the Livers in a glass/ceramic bowl and cover them in Milk (This removes any bitterness). Leave for 30 minutes.
2] Drain off the milk, let the livers sit in the collander to lose as much milk as possible. (I have not thought up a way of using the bitter milk... let me know if you find a way, seems such a waste).
1] Heat a third of the butter in a big pan and heat until bubbling.
2] Add the livers and fry over a medium heat until they colour up. (the trick here is to not over cook them, you still want pink in the middle to give the Pate that wonderful colour)
3] Tip the Livers into the food processor, add in Salt, Pepper and Butter and give it a blitz.
4] Deglace the pan with the Brandy and add this into the processor, blitz.
5] Pour the lovely warm rich smelling stuff into the sieve and use a wooden spoon/spactuala to mash the warm mix through the sieve. This gives it wonderful velvet texture.
6] Spoon into whatever dishe(s) you want to serve the Pate in. Place in the fridge for no more than 30 minutes (put the kitchen timer on).
7] Melt a little more butter to pour over the Pate to seal it.



Fry the livers in butter, I have propbably overcrowded the pan here.



Put the livers into a amply sized food processer straight from the pan.



Deglaze the pan with some brandy.



Blitz till smooth.



Strain the Pate to get it velvety.



These are the grainy bits you want to lose.



I like to put them in small pots, and freeze the ones not to be used right away.
Unfrozen they will last a couple of days in the fridge.