Let this parfait pave its way to your heart

How about trying a chicken liver parfait with cranberry butter this festive season?

Sounds excitingly delicious, doesn’t it? This recipe will serve about eight people and will take about two hours to make. Along with the ingredients, all you will need is a stick blender, ramekins, spoons and pots.

Here’s how you make the dish:

Ingredients

Parfait

• 200g butter

• 1 shallot

• 1 sprig thyme

• 2 garlic cloves

• pinch nutmeg

• pinch allspice

• 500g chicken livers

• 50ml brandy

• 50ml madeira wine

• 60ml cream

• 1 bay leaf

• Salt and pepper

Cranberry butter

• 100g butter

• 6tblsp fresh cranberries

Method

Parfait

Melt 50g butter in a medium pan and gently fry the shallots with the thyme and bay leaf until soft but no colour.

Add garlic, nutmeg and allspice and cook for 1 more minute

Add the chicken livers, cook for 2-3 minutes until lightly browned . (Cut one of the largest livers in half to check , it should be pink inside)

Pour the brandy and Madeira over the livers and simmer for 1 min.

Remove from heat and discard the thyme and bay leaf.

Place all the ingredients from the pan into a food processor.

Melt the remaining 150g butter, blend ingredients together adding the melted butter and then the cream, whist blending

Pass mixture through a sieve.

Grease 6 ramekins and pour mixture into them.

Cranberry Butter

Melt the butter over a low heat and remove from heat as soon as it has melted.

Spoon off any foam and pour the butter out leaving the milk solids in the bottom of the pan. Add the cranberries and cook for about 10 minutes on low heat. Blend together.

Allow to cool for 10 mins

Spoon on top of the parfait and allow to set in fridge

Serve with some crispy toasted bread