chicken liver pâté

Simple, cheap as chips (cheaper than chips actually!), and one of tastiest things you'll ever cook! That's just how I'd describe this recipe for my chicken liver pâté. No more to be said really, just get cracking, grab some crusty bread, and see if you can stop eating it once you start!

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 150g bacon lardons
• ½ onion, finely chopped
• 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 500g chicken livers
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 shot glass brandy (optional but also very necessary!) 
• 120g softened butter, cubed

For the topping:

• 110g clarified butter
• 6 small sprigs of thyme

Method

1. Heat the oil in a large frying pan and cook the bacon, onion, thyme and garlic until the onions have softened and the bacon is cooked (don't colour it).
2. Add the chicken livers and bay leaves. Turn the heat up a little & cook for about 4 minutes, until the liver is browned on the outside but still soft/pink in the middle.
3. Pour in the brandy, light it & let it burn off (stand back), then simmer for around 3 minutes.
4. Take off the heat, take the bay leaves out and leave to stand for a couple of minutes.
5. Spoon into a food processor and pulse a few times to get a rough pâté look. Add the butter a little at a time and blitz in each time, until it's all well mixed & the pâté is smooth-ish (or to whatever consistency you prefer). Season with salt & pepper if needed (probably won't be, especially if the bacon was smoked).
6. Divide the mixture between six ramekins/pots/cups/whatever. Allow to cool for a few minutes and stick in the fridge for a couple of hours.
7. Clarify the butter but placing in a small saucepan over a medium heat until the solids separate (the white stuff). Sieve off through a fine sieve and keep the golden (clarified) liquid butter.
8. Take the pâté out of the fridge, sit a little sprig of fresh thyme on top of each and cover the pate with a layer of clarified butter. Stick back in the fridge for another 3 or 4 hours.
9. Eat. Get fat. Don't really worry about that. Eat a bit more.