Chicken Liver Foie Gras Parfait Recipes

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Tip the wine, brandy, shallot and garlic into a saucepan, bring to the boil and simmer until most of the liquid has reduced, about 3-5 mins, then set aside to cool. Meanwhile, heat half the oil in a large frying pan. Once hot, add half of the livers and sear them for 1 min on each side so they are brown on the outside but still rosy in the middle. Tip into a colander with a bowl underneath to catch any leftover fat. Repeat with the remaining livers and oil.
• Tip the livers into a food processor along with the cooled red wine and shallot mix. Add half the thyme leaves, all the cream and melted butter. Blend to a fine purée and season generously, then pour into a jar, pot or six individual ramekins. Transfer to the fridge to set for 2 hrs.
• Once the parfait has set, sprinkle with the remaining thyme leaves and spoon over a thin layer of melted clarified butter and put back in the fridge to set the butter. Can be made up to two days ahead and chilled. To serve, toast the brioche and serve with the parfait and a separate pot of chutney for everyone to help themselves.

CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT WITH APPLE & SAFFRON CHUTNEY

Steps:

• Soak the livers overnight in milk to remove any bitterness. Drain well in a colander. To make the reduction, heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry shallots, herbs and peppercorns for 3-5 mins until the shallots are starting to soften. Add the Cognac and carefully flambé by tipping the pan towards the flame, or use a match.
• Once the flames have subsided, boil the Cognac for a few secs until it reduces down to a couple of tbsp. Add the port and madeira together and boil again for about 10 mins, or until reduced by two thirds. Leave to cool slightly so it's not piping hot.
• Add the livers, eggs, egg yolks and butter into the reduction and stir gently. Once the butter has almost melted, add the salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to a blender and blitz for 2 mins or until smooth, scraping the sides down. Strain into a jug; rub the mix against the sieve with the back of a ladle. Discard any sinewy bits left behind.
• Check seasoning, then pour into eight 100ml ovenproof ramekins. Heat the oven to 110C/fan 90C/gas ¼. Line a heatproof pan with four layers of kitchen towel and sit the ramekins on top. Pour very hot, but not boiling, water into the pan
• Test if the parfaits are ready by tilting one of them to the side - the parfait mix should just bulge slightly at the edge of the ramekin and gently wobble in the middle when shaken gently. (Don't forget that it will keep on cooking as it cools.) Remove the ramekins from the pan, cool then chill for at least 4 hrs or until set.
• Seal the parfaits with butter. Melt the butter in a pan but do not let boil. Whisk in the nutmeg, rosemary and half the thyme leaves. Taste butter for seasoning, then spoon over the parfait tops, sprinkle with the reserved thyme to decorate and return to the fridge to set. Will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the shallots, ginger and a good pinch of sea salt, then fry for 3 mins. Crumble in the saffron, sprinkle in the sugar and carry on cooking for few mins until the sugar melts and starts to caramelise, stirring all the time.
• Tip in the vinegar and apples, then cook for 5 mins until the apples are just softened and coated in a syrupy sauce. Cool and serve. Can be spooned into an airtight container and kept in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

FOIE GRAS PARFAIT WITH MADEIRA JELLY

Steps:

• Place the liver in a large bowl, and pour the milk over it. Cover and set aside at room temperature for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. You want the liver to soften and to look and feel like a giant piece of Silly Putty. When you have that consistency, take the liver out of the bowl, put it on paper towels, and pat it dry. Throw out the milk.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Put the cream in a small saucepan and place it over high heat.
• Now, here's the weird part: Using a table knife, split the liver in half lengthwise. There will be veins and nerves and bile ducts. Basically, anything you see that is red or green should be taken out. It's not a big deal if you don't remove it all. Just get what you can. Pat both halves dry.
• Cut the liver into cubes. The smaller they are, the easier on your blender or food processor. Put the cubes in a large, wide bowl; add the brandy, sugar, and a healthy sprinkle each of salt and pepper; and turn the cubes gently to coat them on all sides.
• Put the cubes in a blender or food processor and pulse until the cubes are all gone and you are left with a creamy consistency. Add the egg yolks and whole eggs. The cream will be at a boil by now, so take it off the burner. You want to pulse for about 10 seconds, add some cream, pulse for 10 seconds more, add a little more cream, and then pulse again. Continue like this until all the hot cream is added and the liver is smooth and creamy, like a frothy McDonald's milk shake.
• Pour the liquid liver through a coarse-mesh sieve into a bowl with a spout or a large measuring pitcher. You need to strain out any nasty bits you may have missed before. Divide the mixture evenly among 10 to 12 ramekins or jam jars, 1/2 cup (125 ml) each. Select a baking dish just large enough to hold the ramekins without touching (you may need to use 2 baking dishes or bake the parfaits in batches), and line the bottom with a double layer of paper towels. Place the ramekins in the baking dish.
• Pull out the oven rack, put the baking dish on it, pour the boiling water into the baking dish to reach about halfway up the sides of the ramekins, and push in the oven rack. Bake for 25 minutes, then pull out the oven rack and lightly shake the ramekins. If the liver wobbles stiffly, you're ready. If not, push in the rack and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes, then test again.
• When the parfaits are ready, remove them from the baking dish and let them cool to room temperature. If you are using the truffle shavings, arrange some on top of each parfait. Cover the parfaits and refrigerate until chilled. Top with the jelly as directed, then re-cover and return to the refrigerator as directed. The parfaits will keep for up to 4 days. Remove from the refrigerator about 10 minutes before serving with the toasted brioche.
• Bloom the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cool water to cover for 5 to 10 minutes, or until they soften and swell.
• In a small pot, combine the wine, water, maple syrup, and vinegar over medium heat. When hot, remove from the heat. Gently squeeze the gelatin sheets, add to the wine mixture, and whisk until completely dissolved.
• If using for the parfaits, spoon a thin layer of the warm liquid over each chilled parfait and refrigerate for 15 minutes to set the jelly. The layer should be 1/8 inch (3 mm) thick. If not using for the parfaits, pour the warm liquid into a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate. It will keep for up to 7 days. When serving this jelly on a plate, we press it through a ricer to give it a mound of kryptonite appearance.

CHICKEN LIVER FOIE GRAS PARFAIT

Steps:

• combine top combine bottom and reduce combine top with bottom set in moulds cook at 100c until centre reaches 54

VELVETY DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Cut away and discard any large sinews from the livers, then set the livers aside. Heat about a third of the butter in a large frying pan, then gently fry the shallots and garlic for 3-4 mins unti l soft. Turn up the heat, add the livers, then fry until just browned on all sides. Add the brandy and port, boil down as quickly as possible - if the sauce catches light for an instant, then all the better. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Season the livers generously, then tip the contents of the pan into a food processor with the tomato purée and remaining butter, and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, taste for seasoning, then tip into a serving dish, banging the dish down on the tabletop to smooth out the surface. Place in the fridge to set.
• Once the mixture has set, make the topping. Gently melt the butter in a small pan or in a bowl in the microwave, then leave for a min to settle and separate. Pour the yellow butter that has risen to the top into another bowl and discard the milky liquid. Leave the yellow butter to cool slightly, then mix in the thyme and peppercorns. Pour the mixture over the parfait and leave to set in the fridge. Serve with plenty of toast, sliced gherkins and chutney. Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.