Chicken Liver Parfait Recipes

Steps:

• At least an hour before you want to make the tart, make the pastry. Tip the flour, thyme, butter and ½ tsp salt into a food processor and pulse to the texture of breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk and milk and pulse again until it all starts to come together. Tip out and press into a ball of pastry. Wrap, then chill for at least 1 hr. Can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.
• On a lightly floured surface, roll the pastry out and line an 11 x 33cm rectangular, fluted tart tin. (The pastry may break up as you work it, so patch over any broken bits.) Keep any excess trimmings. Chill the tart case in the fridge or freezer for 20 mins.
• While the tart case is chilling, tip all the ingredients for the parfait into a clean food processor with a generous pinch of salt and a good grinding of pepper. Blitz until the mix is as smooth as it's going to get, then push through a sieve into a jug and set aside.
• Heat oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6. Line the tart case with greaseproof paper and baking beans, then bake on a baking tray for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and remove the paper and beans. Check for any small holes or cracks in the pastry and patch up with the reserved trimmings. Place back in the oven for 15 mins, until golden. Remove from the oven and lower the oven to 120C/fan 100C/ gas ½. When the oven has cooled suitably, slide the tart case back into it, then fill as far as you can with the parfait mix. Bake the tart for 20 mins until just set. Leave to cool, trim any untidy edges, then remove from tin.
• To serve, cut the tart into 6 slices. Place on plates, then place small blobs of caramelised onions and a scattering of hazelnuts around the tart. Neatly place a few salad leaves around and drizzle everything with oil and vinegar. Arrange 2 fig quarters on top of each slice and serve.

Steps:

• Soak the livers overnight in milk to remove any bitterness. Drain well in a colander. To make the reduction, heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry shallots, herbs and peppercorns for 3-5 mins until the shallots are starting to soften. Add the Cognac and carefully flambé by tipping the pan towards the flame, or use a match.
• Once the flames have subsided, boil the Cognac for a few secs until it reduces down to a couple of tbsp. Add the port and madeira together and boil again for about 10 mins, or until reduced by two thirds. Leave to cool slightly so it's not piping hot.
• Add the livers, eggs, egg yolks and butter into the reduction and stir gently. Once the butter has almost melted, add the salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a blender and blitz for 2 mins or until smooth, scraping the sides down. Strain into a jug; rub the mix against the sieve with the back of a ladle. Discard any sinewy bits left behind.
• Check seasoning, then pour into eight 100ml ovenproof ramekins. Heat the oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Line a heatproof pan with four layers of kitchen towel and sit the ramekins on top. Pour very hot, but not boiling, water into the pan
• Test if the parfaits are ready by tilting one of them to the side - the parfait mix should just bulge slightly at the edge of the ramekin and gently wobble in the middle when shaken gently. (Don't forget that it will keep on cooking as it cools.) Remove the ramekins from the pan, cool then chill for at least 4 hrs or until set.
• Seal the parfaits with butter. Melt the butter in a pan but do not let boil. Whisk in the nutmeg, rosemary and half the thyme leaves. Taste butter for seasoning, then spoon over the parfait tops, sprinkle with the reserved thyme to decorate and return to the fridge to set. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, ginger and a good pinch of sea salt, then fry for 3 mins. Crumble in the saffron, sprinkle in the sugar and carry on cooking for few mins until the sugar melts and starts to caramelise, stirring all the time.
• Tip in the vinegar and apples, then cook for 5 mins until the apples are just softened and coated in a syrupy sauce. Cool and serve. Can be spooned into an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.