Day 1 – Country-Style Pâté

Warning: We have come to this dear readers, that sudden turn in the road that leads us through an unexpected detour marked ‘offal’.

I’ll stand to one side while those who are risk-averse stampede back out to the desserts section.

Right then. That now leaves about three of you in the room and what knowing souls you are.

I’ll come right out and tell you that I adore offal – well, certain kinds. I grew up eating the stuff, knowing no better and therefore enjoying it all. I was spared tripe and lamb’s brains and sweetbreads, but the rest of it? Love it.

Ask any chef who puts liver and onions on the menu and they will tell you  it is routinely and joyously ordered by those who now live in an offal-free house and who only ever get the chance to enjoy it when they dine out. Then there are those who are unwilling to eat offal in its normal form – often it’s the look of the whole organ that puts them off – but who love all sorts of pâté and gently pretend not to hear when they find out its core ingredient.

For those who love it, I have some heartening news: Pâté is cheap – livers are just a few dollars a kilo – and very easy to make, especially if you have a blender. But first, you have to make friends with a butcher, or even better a poultry retailer, for without chicken livers – or duck livers – you will not have a dish.

Go on. Try it on warm buttered toast, with some little cornichons (sweet dill pickles to us plebs) or some pickled cherries on the side. Regardless of what the risk-averse may tell you, the view from this detour is worth the journey.

Makes 2 cups

INGREDIENTS

250g chicken or duck livers; 1 onion, finely diced; 1 clove garlic, finely diced; 3 rashers bacon, rind removed and sliced into 1cm strips; 125 g butter; salt and pepper; sprinkle of dried herbs or 1 tsp fresh thyme; 1 tbsp port or brandy; 40g butter, extra, to seal

METHOD

Wash and dry the livers and trim any fat around the liver and traces of gall.

Melt about 30g of butter in a heavy based fry pan over low heat and gently fry the onion and bacon until the onion is soft but not browned.

Add the livers, salt, pepper and herbs and continue to fry gently until the livers are no longer pink on the outside, about 5 – 7 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool a little.

Place mixture in the bowl of a food processor and add remaining butter and port or brandy. Blitz for a couple of minutes to get the mixture as smooth as possible. Using a food processor will result in a coarse texture – a blender will give you a slightly smoother result. For the smoothest consistency of all, push the blended mixture through a sieve.

Spoon the pâté into a small dish and smooth out the top to as flat as possible. Chill.

Melt 40g (2 tablespoons) butter in a small saucepan and allow it to cool for two minutes. Spoon the clarified butter over the top of the pâté, leaving the white milk solids at the bottom of the saucepan. The butter creates a good seal, but the pâté will still need covering with cling wrap. It will keep for up to one week in the fridge. Serve with warm buttered toast.

COST

$6.40 for two generous cups