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Chicken liver paté with figs, grapes and herb salad and whole-wheat bread

For the paté:
1¾ cup/420 ml milk
400 g/14 oz chicken livers, trimmed
2 tablespoons/15 ml olive oil
1 medium shallot, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 sprig of thyme
3 tablespoons/45 ml brandy
3 tablespoons/45 ml port
3 tablespoons/45 ml Madeira
50 g/1.75 oz clarified butter, melted
3 eggs
1 egg yolk
salt and freshly ground black pepper
300 g/10.5 oz butter, melted (to seal the paté)

To finish:
75 g/3 oz softened butter
75 g/3 oz softened lard

The fig and grape salad:
4 firm-ripe fresh figs, halved lengthwise
4 cups/1 liter rocket leaves
½ cup/120 ml grapes, cut in half
2 tablespoons/30 ml extra-virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
balsamic glaze
whole-wheat bread, thinly sliced, buttered and lightly toasted

For the paté:

  • Soak the livers in the milk for at least four hours, then drain, rinse and pat dry.
  • Heat the oven to 120°C/248ºF).
  • Grease a terrine mold and line with plastic film.
  • Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallot and garlic. Fry until translucent, then add the thyme.
  • Add the brandy and flambé, and when the flames have died down, add the port, Madeira and reduce by two thirds.
  • Leave to cool slightly, then add the butter, eggs and the cleaned livers and season with salt and pepper. Do not bring to a boil again, this is just to get all the ingredients up to the same temperature. Discard the thyme.
  • Transfer the liver mixture to a food processor and blend until smooth.
  • Pour the blended mixture through a fine sieve, rubbing the mixture with the back of a ladle into a bowl. Discard any solids left behind.
  • Line the base and sides of a 23 cm x 9 cm x 8 cm/9 in x 3½ in x 3 in terrine mold with greaseproof paper, leaving a 3 cm/1 in overlap above the top of the tin.
    The paper will protect the paté from direct heat and prevent it discolouring and becoming hard.
  • Pour the liver mixture into the mold, put a piece of tin foil over the top of the dish (it must not touch the liver mixture) and place the lid on top.
  • Put the dish into a roasting tin, filled halfway with hot water, then place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
  • Test the internal temperature and if it has not reached 65°C/149°F, place it back into the oven for another 10 minutes and check it again.
    Do not overcook or it will split and lose its fine texture.

  • When the paté is cooked, remove the terrine mold from the baking tray, leave it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature then refrigerate.

  • Discard the greaseproof paper from the top of the paté then dip the tin in a deep tray of hot water.

  • Slide a hot knife between the sides of the mold and the greaseproof lining then hold the edges of the lining and carefully lift the paté from the tin onto a chopping board.

  • Peel away the greaseproof paper from the sides of the paté .

  • Warm a palette knife in hot water and smooth the top and sides of the paté , trimming away any discolouration on the top.

  • Return the paté to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm it up, or place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

  • To finish, beat the softened butter and lard together and spread a thin layer over the top of the paté using a palette knife.

  • On a clean plate, flip the paté over and spread the remaining butter/lard mixture over the sides and what has now become the top.

    Covering all the surfaces of the paté with this mixture will prevent it from oxidising and discolouring.

  • Decorate the top surface with herbs to your liking, pressing them lightly down to adhere.

  • Return the paté , covered, to the fridge and chill for at least one day before serving.

    This will keep for up to 3 days.

To serve:

  • Dip a large sharp knife into hot water and carefully slice the paté to the thickness desired.
  • Plate each slice on suitable serving plates with the fig and grape salad and the whole-wheat bread.

For the fig salad:

  • Heat the grill to medium hot.
  • Drizzle a few drops of olive oil over the fig halves (on cut side) and briefly put under the grill. Remove and let cool.
  • Gently toss the rocket and grapes with olive oil, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper, and divide into four servings.
  • Arrange it on each plate with the paté, and place the two fig halves on each mound of salad. Drizzle with the balsamic glaze all round.
STELLA's avatar

By STELLA

I have had no formal chef’s training. Classical piano was my parents’ choice, and that took care of the first 20 years of my life. Journalism and radio followed (my own choices, this time), and these opened many doors for me into different countries, people, cultures — and, of course, foods. In a six week series on radio I used it as a platform for my love of food and shared lots of interesting recipes and food news with listeners.
My earliest memories of food come from the family kitchen at home; I can still remember the wonderful smells of the dishes my mother prepared. I became aware of the flavors of her creations at an early age. Some I enjoyed and preferred, while others depressed me with their lack of interesting flavors. My mother was a good cook, but not a gourmet, and sadly this often showed. What I did appreciate was that she always involved me in the preparation, sharing her knowledge of nutrition, flavor, color, and the harmonies of each plate she dished up. She was also a genius with leftovers and quick meals when unexpected guests arrived. This is one of the things that stands out in my mind, and it inspired me to create wonderful dishes from leftover foods myself.

I carried on with the tradition of carefully planning meals to combine nutrition, color and flavor, while at the same time offering variety and elegant presentation. In the process, I developed a passion for seeking out the best available products, adhering to each season’s offerings, and treating it with the respect it deserves, which eventually became part of my daily culinary life and travels. I did these things not because I wanted to become a chef, but to satisfy myself, family and friends with creations of gorgeous food and exciting flavors. All of which, I hope, is reflected in this blog.

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