Prep: 40 mins

Cook: 40 mins (+3 hours chilling)

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• 170g butter
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 460g chicken livers, cleaned
• 6 bacon rashers, finely chopped
• 120g mushrooms, finely chopped
• 1/2 tsp thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tbs port
• 2 tbs dry sherry
• 2 tbs brandy
• 250ml (1 cup) pure cream
• Salt and pepper, to season
• Thyme leaves or sprigs, to serve

Method:

• To make pâté, melt butter in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes or until softened. Add chicken livers, bacon, mushrooms and herbs. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes or until livers are browned all over. Remove bay leaf. Transfer mixture to a food processor.
• Add port, sherry and brandy to pan and simmer for 30 seconds or until reduced by half. Add to food processor with cream and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Strain through a sieve into a jug, then divide among serving dishes. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight until set.
• NOTE: I did not have port, sherry and brandy at home so I just added 3 x the quantity of sherry.
• Serve with freshly baked bread and/or crackers.

The pate turned out delicious. It was very light and creamy and tasted more like a parfait then a pate. I took the left over pate to work the next day and it got demolished!