You can’t keep a good woman down, and you can’t stop Chica from interfering in the kitchen. Thank you for all the good wishes for my recuperation from the little gall bladder operation. All is going well apart from feeling very tired and looking quite pale and interesting. Loved ones felt that I might be a little anaemic and my cravings for dried apricots and green leafy vegetables probably confirm that.
The kitchen is progressing slowly but well and the other evening I really wanted to make something from scratch rather than just heat up a meal I had waiting in the freezer. The fact that I craved liver and still didn’t have a hob was not going to deter me and I am showing you the grim reality of my current cooking arrangements in the spirit of honesty and to encourage anyone who doesn’t have a super swishy cooker. If you want to do it…you can!
Slightly lower fat chicken liver paté for the stubborn and determined cook
- 400g chicken livers trimmed of any sinews and soaked for about 30 minutes in milk to remove any bitterness
- 100g low fat creme frâiche
- 2 cloves of garlic peeled and grated or crushed
- 1 shallot peeled and finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon each of Port and Brandy
- salt and pepper to taste
- 40g approx unsalted butter, gently heated and white foam spooned off (clarified butter)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- A sprig of something pretty from your herb garden to decorate
In a large frying pan, heat a tablespoon of the oil. Drain and dry the chicken livers well with kitchen paper and cook on a medium heat for a couple of minutes each side until browned but still pink in the middle. If you can’t bear bloody meat, go ahead and cook them through thoroughly. It’s your paté, your choice!
Remove from the pan to a plate and wipe the pan clean. Add the rest of the oil and gently fry the shallot and garlic until transparent and soft. Add the cooked chicken livers to the pan with the port and brandy and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season lightly with the salt and pepper and allow to cool slightly for a few minutes.
Put the mixture into a blender (I used a stick blender so used the tall container that comes with it) together with the creme frâiche. Blend until smooth, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Spoon into a serving dish and pour over the clarified butter, decorating if you like. If you prefer to use individual serving dishes you may need more butter. I think thyme is more usual as a decoration, but I used what I had!
Chill for a few hours or overnight and enjoy. I understand this will keep for at least a week with the butter seal, once you start it though, eat within 2-3 days. Which is not a problem in our house as every time I open the fridge I do a little taste test…
Chica Andaluza 