Name: Chicken liver & raisin pâté
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 d
Yield: 6
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 60g large blonde raisin plus a few extra to garnish; 2-3 tbsp brandy; 100ml white wine; 100ml port; 4 shallots finely sliced; 1 garlic clove finely sliced; 200g butter; 200g chicken livers, all traces of sinew removed; 2 medium eggs beaten; 25g pistachio or hazelnuts, finely sliced, plus extra to garnish; 50g melted clarified butter (see tip, below); slices toasted walnut bread; salad leaves dressed with walnut oil and wine vinegar

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Chicken liver & raisin pâté

Chicken liver & raisin pâté

Raymond Blanc

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Serves 6

More effort

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 1 hr

Plus soaking, cooling and overnight chilling

A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.8 ratingsRate

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This delicious, unashamedly rich starter is the sort of dish that makes entertaining stress-free, as it can be made up to three days ahead

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Ingredients

Nutrition

Units:

MetricUS

60g large blonde raisin

plus a few extra to garnish
2-3 tbsp brandy
100ml white wine
100ml port
4 shallots

finely sliced
1 garlic clove

finely sliced
200g butter
200g chicken

livers, all traces of sinew removed
2 medium eggs

beaten
25g pistachio

or hazelnuts, finely sliced, plus extra to garnish
50g melted clarified butter

(see tip, below)

To serve

slices toasted walnut

bread
salad leaves

dressed with walnut oil and wine vinegar

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Nutrition: per serving

kcal478
fat41g
saturates24g
carbs13g
sugars12g
fibre0g
protein10g
salt1.49g

low

Method

step 1

A day ahead, put the raisins in a small bowl, pour over enough brandy to cover, then leave to soak for 1 hr. Pour the wine and port into a small, deep saucepan, tip in the shallots and garlic, then simmer until reduced by two-thirds – about 10 mins. Remove from the heat and pass through a fine sieve, pressing to extract all the juices. Allow to cool. Melt the 200g butter, then leave to cool slightly.
step 2

In a food processor, blend the chicken livers until smooth, then add the wine reduction followed by the eggs, the cooled melted butter, 1 tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Pass through a fine sieve into a jug, stir in the nuts, then set aside. Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3.
step 3

Drain the raisins, then divide them between 6 x 125ml ramekins. Pour the chicken liver mixture over, leaving a small space at the top of each one. Stand the ramekins in a small roasting tin (or similar ovenproof dish with sides to make a bain-marie) then pour in enough hot water to reach two-thirds of the way up the sides. Cover with foil and bake for 35-40 mins. To check when cooked, push a fine knife blade into the centre and, if it comes out hot and clean, the pâté is ready. If not, continue to cook, but don’t overcook or let them soufflé up or the texture of the pâté will be grainy.
step 4

Remove from the bain-marie, then pour a thin layer of clarified butter over each dish to seal. Scatter over a few extra raisins and pistachios to garnish as the butter is setting. Leave to cool, then refrigerate for up to 3 days.
step 5

To serve, put each ramekin on a plate with toasted walnut bread and a few dressed salad leaves.

RECIPE TIPS

CLARIFYING BUTTER

To clarify butter, warm it gently in a small pan. The white milk solids will sink to the bottom, then you can carefully pour off the clear, clarified butter.

Recipe from Good Food magazine, January 2010

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A star rating of 4.9 out of 5.8 ratings

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