BBC Food - Recipes - Chicken liver parfait https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_live...

Preparation time

Chicken liver parfait over 2 hours

Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Ingredients
Serves
For the parfait
Serves 10-12
400g/14oz fresh chicken livers, free-range or organic, sinews and
gall bladders removed
500ml/18fl oz milk Rich, silky and meltingly
4 tsp salt delicious, this remains one
100ml/4fl oz dry Madeira Raymond's most popular
100ml/4fl oz ruby port brasserie dishes. Make it two
60g/2½oz shallots, finely chopped days in advance if possible so
2 sprigs thyme, leaves only, finely chopped the flavours can fully develop
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed and mature.
50ml/2fl oz Cognac
5 medium free-range eggs Equipment and preparation:
400g/14oz unsalted butter, melted and kept warm You will need a temperature
2 pinches freshly ground black pepper probe and 23cm x 9cm x
8cm/9in x 3½in x 3in terrine
To finish tin.
75g/3oz soened butter
75g/3oz soened lard
By Raymond Blanc
From Raymond Blanc's Kitchen
Method Secrets

1. Soak the chicken livers in the milk, 500ml/18fl oz water and

two teaspoons of the salt in a shallow dish for one hour. This
will draw out most of the blood, which can make the livers
bitter, giving the parfait a more delicate flavour. Rinse and
drain the livers well.

2. Preheat the oven to 130C/270F/Gas ½.

3. Put the Madeira, port, shallots, thyme, garlic and Cognac in a

small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture bubble
until reduced by one-third and then remove the pan from the
heat. The bitterness of the alcohol will have evaporated off
and the flavours of the herbs will infuse into the liquid.

4. Place the drained chicken livers and the contents of the pan
in a blender or food processor and process, adding one egg at
a time, for 3-4 minutes, or until the texture is silky smooth.

5. Gradually add the melted butter (if you add it too quickly, the
parfait may split), the remaining salt and the pepper. Taste
the mixture and correct the seasoning if necessary.

1 din 3 26.11.2017, 10:52

BBC Food - Recipes - Chicken liver parfait https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_live...

6. Line the base and sides of a 23cm x 9cm x 8cm/9in x 3½in x

3in terrine tin with greaseproof paper, leaving a 3cm/1in
overlap above the top of the tin. The paper will protect the
parfait from direct heat and prevent it discolouring and
becoming hard.

7. Using the back of a ladle, press the parfait mixture through a

fine sieve into a large bowl then pour into the terrine tin and
cover with another piece of greaseproof paper cut to fit.

8. Place the terrine in a deep baking tray and pour in boiling

water until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the sides of the
tin. This bain marie method of cooking allows the heat of the
oven to permeate through the water and cook the parfait very
gently so that it is cooked though evenly.

9. Cover the tray loosely with a sheet of perforated foil and

place it in the oven. Check the temperature of the parfait with
a temperature probe aer 40 minutes – the parfait is cooked
when the middle has reached 65C-70C/150F-158F. Do not
overcook or it will split and lose its fine texture.

10. When the parfait is cooked, remove the terrine tin from the
baking tray, leave it to cool for 30 minutes at room
temperature then refrigerate.

11. Discard the greaseproof paper from the top of the parfait
then dip the tin in a deep tray of hot water. Slide a hot knife
between the sides of the tin and the greaseproof lining then
hold the edges of the lining and carefully li the parfait from
the tin onto a chopping board.

12. Peel away the greaseproof paper from the sides of the parfait.
Warm a palette knife in hot water and smooth the top and
sides of the parfait, trimming away any discolouration on the
top. Return the parfait to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to
firm it up, or place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

13. To finish, beat the soened butter and lard together and
spread a thin layer over the top of the parfait using a palette
knife.

14. Line a flat baking tray with a sheet of clean greaseproof

paper. Flip the parfait over onto the tray and spread the
remaining butter/lard mixture over the sides and what has
now become the top. Covering all the surfaces of the parfait
with this mixture will prevent it from oxidising and
discolouring.

15. Return the parfait to the fridge and chill for at least one day
before serving; two days is ideal.

2 din 3 26.11.2017, 10:52

BBC Food - Recipes - Chicken liver parfait https://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/chicken_live...

16. To serve, dip a knife into hot water and cut the parfait into
thick slices. Serve with chutneys, pickles and toasted
sourdough bread, or spread onto crostini to serve as canapés.
Red Burgundy is the perfect wine match.

Recipe Tips
For extra flavour, add coarsely crushed black peppercorns, dried
orange zest and a little ground cinnamon to the butter/lard mixture
before you spread it over the parfait.

Recommended wine
Red Burgundy

3 din 3 26.11.2017, 10:52