Kick off your Christmas meal in style with this delicious starter.
A festive touch is added by the shiny red pomegranate seeds decorating the smooth, rich paté, featuring our Grants Morella Cherry Brandy.
Ingredients
- 150g Shallots
- 10g Fresh chopped thyme
- 175g melted butter
- 600g Chicken livers – with fat and membrane removed
- Salt and pepper
- Pinch of nutmeg
- 50ml Grants Morella Cherry Brandy
- 150g clarified butter
- Bay leaves
- Pomegranate seeds
Method
- Peel and slice the shallots finely, cook in a pan with the butter over a medium heat.
- Pour the chicken livers into a mixing bowl and cut out the membrane and any excess fat/sinew.
- Put the fresh chicken livers onto a lined tray, sprinkle with salt and pepper and nutmeg. Drizzle all over with the Grants Morella Cherry Brandy, then cook at 210°C to 220°C for five minutes, until lightly cooked.
- Put the cooked chicken livers, the sauteed buttered shallots and thyme with the butter into a food processor. Blitz until smooth, spoon into ramekins. Place in the fridge for 15 to 20 minutes, then top with the bay leaves and the clarified butter and chill in the fridge until needed.
Serving suggestion
Serve with slices of hot toast, with some pomegranate seeds, a few cornichons and some fresh watercress leaves.
Gareth’s Top Tip
To make your own clarified butter, place butter into a pan over a medium heat. Once it starts to boil, turn down to a simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off the crust. Then pour into a glass jug. You will see the clarified butter separate from the milk solids below. Only use the yellow part and discard the white solids in the bottom.