Czech Christmas Shells
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- More effort
- Serves 10
Ingredients
- SHELL FILLING
- 500g chicken livers
- 1.2kg lean pork (shoulder or leg)
- 2 tins of anchovy filets
- 120g unsalted butter
- 4 tbsp plain flour
- 4 large egg yolks
- Juice from half a lemon
- 200ml dry white wine
- Salt
- Pepper
- SHELL OR RAMEKIN COATING
- Unsalted butter
- Dried breadcrumbs
Method
- STEP 1Boil the pork without salt until cooked - around 1 hour for a kg. Remove from the liquid and chop the meat up.
- STEP 2Add the chicken livers to the liquid and cook through. Remove from the stock.
- STEP 3Make a roux with the butter and flour, and then add the liquid stock - sufficient to make a thick sauce.
- STEP 4Chop up the livers, meat and anchovies keeping the mix relatively coarse.
- STEP 5Once the sauce is cold, add the 4 egg yolks and stir them through thoroughly.
- STEP 6Add the meat and anchovies to the sauce, together with the lemon juice.
- STEP 7Add white wine, salt and pepper to taste.
- STEP 8Leave overnight, and readjust the seasoning as required.
- STEP 9Take the scallop shells (or ramekins if using these), and butter them thoroughly. Cover the buttered surface with dried breadcrumbs before filling the shells with a generous amount of the pate mix.
- STEP 10Finish with a small knob of butter, then place on baking sheets into the oven, 220C / fan 200C / gas 7, for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
