I have a confession. I really love real French food. Therefore over the years have been searching to find a recipe that would allow me to enjoy the rich taste of foie gras without the concerns, and luckily I found it! This Chicken Liver Parfait has a similar rich texture but can be made with or without foie gras, while keeping the amazing taste.
This great recipe offers a real wow factor at any dinner party, however as the chicken livers need to marinate for at least 12 hours overnight in the fridge before you can begin, and the Parfait needs another night to set, you need two days to prepare this great treat.
Ingredients
500 grams Chicken livers, trimmed of fat
60 ml Brandy or Madeira
250ml clarified butter
1 very finely diced shallot
2 very finely diced garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
2 thyme sprigs
250 grams diced butter & slightly softened
Method
1 – Put the chicken livers and brandy in a large bowl, wrap tightly in clingfilm and leave to marinate in a fridge overnight. In the morning drain the chicken livers and place back into the fridge, keeping the brandy to use later.
2 – Heat 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, cooking gently for 5 minutes without letting the ingredients colour. This is called sweating the ingredients.
3 – Once 5 minutes has passed add the brandy you kept from Part 1 and continue to cook until the liquid has nearly evaporated, then season with a pinch of salt & twist of pepper. Once all the brandy has nearly gone remove from the heat, and using tongs remove the bay leaves & thyme stalks, before setting aside to cool.
4 – Heat another 2 tablespoons of the clarified butter in a clean frying pan over a high heat. Add half the chicken livers and cook for 5 minutes, turning regularly, until just coloured but still pink in the middle. Season with a pinch of salt & pepper then set aside to cool.
5 – Wipe the frying pan clean with a paper towel and repeat Part 4 with the other half of the chicken livers.
6 – When all the chicken livers are cool, place them in a food processor with the onion and garlic reduction you made in Parts 1 & 2 and process. Add the spice mix to taste, then gradually add the diced butter to make a smooth puree. If you are using foie gras, add it once all the butter has emulsified.
7 – Once processed push the puree through a fine sieve and set over a clean bowl sat in an ice bath. Spoon the puree into your desired serving dishes, wrap them in cling film and leave to set in the fridge overnight.
8 – The next day, melt the remaining clarified butter in a medium heat, then allow it to cool to room temperature. Remove the parfait from the fridge and remove the clingfilm. Pour over the melted butter to create a cap over the parfait a couple of millimeters deep. Then return to the fridge for at least 2 hours to firm up before serving.
Now your Parfait is ready to serve. I recommend serving with freshly toasted Pain d’epice Bread as shown in my previous recipe. Enjoy.
Matt Burrell
www.thepavilionboatshed.com
www.pavilionice.com
