LAVENDER CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT
(hierdie is sonde!)
Prep: 10 minutes
Cooking: 10 minutes + setting time 2+ hours
400 g chicken liver, cleaned
100 g butter, melted +80 g melted to finish off and a generous tablespoon for sauteing
50 ml double cream
2 – 3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, smashed and roughly diced
50 ml Madeira
50 ml brandy
50 ml port wine
1 tablespoon of lavender buds, pesticide free or culinary grade + a tiny bit more for sealing
1 teaspoon of nutmeg
4 ramekins
Begin by rinsing the liver well in cold water and removing any sinews, then pat dry.
Bruise the lavender buds (excluding the ones for sealing) in a mortar and pestle.
Melt the butter and then add the shallots, sauteing till translucent about 3 – 4 minutes until soft.
Then add the garlic, the bay leaf and the bruised lavender and sautee for another 1 minute, stirring well.
Now, add the brandy, let it reduce about 1 minute, then add the Madeira and port and allow to reduce further about 1 – 2 minutes.
Next, add the chicken livers, nutmeg, salt and pepper and stir well cooking for another 4 – 5 minutes.
Set aside the mixture for about 5 minutes, so it cools slightly. Then transfer to a blender and blitz it till it’s a pate.
Add the melted butter. Oh, how I love butter! It’s the color of the vibrant sun- I don’t get much of that here- great substitute! Blitz it, until the butter is well incorporated
Now, add the mixture to a sieve and using a ladle or a spoon, push the mixture through the sieve. This will take about 5 minutes. It’s quite laborious and is great for building Jeniffer Aniston arms. Alright, who am I kidding!
Discard the sinewy bits that remained in the sieve. Now, take the smooth mixture that has passed through the sieve and add to it the double cream. If you wish to use butter instead of cream that is also fine. Remember it might seem a bit runny at this point, but this will set in the fridge.
Spoon the mixture out into ramekins- leaving a bit of room to seal it with butter.
Sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper and about 4 – 5 lavender buds each- not too much as the taste can be overpowering.
Now, drizzle over the melted butter. It will turn out about a tablespoon and a half per ramekin.
Set it in the fridge for at least two hours or overnight.
Enjoy!
Photo: Lelane Van Der Walt
