Chicken liver pâté with beetroot jelly
A rich pâté flavoured with brandy, Maderia and port. An earthy beetroot jelly and crisp chicken skin ups the ante.
Equipment and preparation: for this recipe you will need six sterilised small kilner jars or small jam jars (approximately 8x7cm/4x3in), a fine conical sieve (such as a chinois), muslin, a blender and two baking trays.
Ingredients
For the beetroot jelly
- 4 whole beetroots, roughly chopped
- 100ml/3½fl oz red wine vinegar
- 25g/1oz sugar
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 gelatine leaves, soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
For the pâté
- 4 shallots, finely sliced
- 100ml/3½fl oz brandy
- 100ml/3½fl oz Madeira
- 100ml/3½fl oz port
- sprig fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 500g/1lb 2oz chicken livers, at room temperature
- 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 300²µ/10½´Ç³ú butter, melted
For the garnish
- 3 chicken legs, poached for 20 minutes in chicken stock
- 6 baby golden beetroot, cooked and peeled
Method
Preheat the oven to 100C/225F/Gas ¼.
To make the beetroot jelly, in a food processor blend the beetroot, red wine vinegar and sugar to a purée. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Line a sieve with muslin and place over a bowl. Pour the beetroot purée into the sieve and set aside to allow the juice to run into the bowl.
Warm the beetroot juice and then squeeze the excess water from the soaked gelatine before adding them to the beetroot juice. Stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool, but not set.
To make the pâté, in a pan combine the shallots, all the alcohol, thyme, bay leaf and garlic. Bring to the boil and simmer until the liquid has evaporated.
Remove the thyme and bay leaf and then place in a blender. Add the chicken livers and pulse.
Slowly add the eggs followed by the butter. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper then pass through a chinois. Divide the mixture between six sterilised jars, filling them two-thirds full.
Place the jars in an oven proof dish with a cloth underneath. Fill the dish with boiling water until half way up side of the jars. Place the dish in the oven for 30 minutes.
Remove the jars from the oven and transfer to the fridge to chill. Increase the oven temperature to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
For the garnish, remove the chicken skin from the legs. Place the skin between two baking trays and bake in the oven for 25 minutes, or until crisp.
When the pâté is firm, carefully pour a thin layer of the jelly on top (approximately 5mm/ ¼in deep). Return to the fridge to set.
To serve, halve the golden beetroot and carefully place on the jelly. Place the chicken skin on the side.
