Tag Archives: Cook

Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin

Posted on by By Vivienne DuBourdieu
Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin. VDuBourdieu©2010

Chicken Liver Pâté with Sloe Gin. VDuBourdieu©2010

Ingredients
1lb (450g*) organic chicken livers, trimmed and cleaned
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 teasp. fresh oregano leaves (or thyme)
2 teaspoons grainy mustard
2 tablespoons (60mls) Sloe Gin (or brandy)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz (225g) organic butter
1 teasp. (5g) allspice or mace
Sea Salt and freshly milled pepper

Utensils & kitchenware
Chopping board
3-4 buttered cocotte (mini soufflé) dishes
Food blender or hand blender with glass mixing jug
Wooden spoon, tablespoon, teaspoon, garlic crusher, sharp knife, salt and pepper grinders
Small stainless steel pot and pyrex bowl to fit inside or a bain marie
Stainless steel or iron frying pan/wok

Method

  1. Brown trimmed chicken livers in pan, using 1oz (25g) of butter, and cooking about 2 minutes on each side or until they are just pink inside. Transfer to food blender.
  2. Melt 5oz (150g) of butter and add to blender.
  3. Add chopped shallots and crushed garlic** to pan; cook until transparent. Pour alcohol on shallot mixture and stir any residue in the pan until you have a sauce. Pour over chicken livers.
  4. Now add mustard, allspice or mace, oregano or thyme, and blend until the mixture is as smooth as you like it. Divide between buttered pots.
  5. Melt remaining 2oz (300g) of butter in bain marie, and pour over pate in pots to seal. Decorate with oregano flowers or a sprig of leaves.
  6. Cover with film (or Gladwrap in NZ) and keep in fridge until required.
  7. Serve with a good wholegrain toast or, if you prefer, Melba or Sicilian toast.

*Conversion rounded up for grams

**Thanks to Maggie Moriarty for spotting that the garlic had not gone in with Version One.

Guinea Fowl Tagine from John Torodes

Posted on by By Vivienne DuBourdieu

Guindea Fowl Tagine from John Torode’s Chicken, published by Quadrille. Photo: Jason Lowe(Story formerly in singlesfood.com)

John Torodes says, “I really hope that no one who tries this dish portions it up neatly in the kitchen and then takes it to the table or packs the couscous into little ring moulds and serves slivers of guinea fowl balanced on top. This is wonderful, honest, stick-the-pot-in-the-middle-of-the-table food.”

Guinea Fowl Tagine

GUINEA FOWL
1 guinea fowl
a little olive oil
2 carrots, cut into chunks
6 dried prunes, dates or figs
rind of 1 preserved lemon, cut into strips
1 mint sprig, leaves chopped
Harissa, to serve

CHERMOULA
1 large red onion, roughly chopped
1 large garlic clove
1.5cm piece ginger, roughly chopped
100ml olive oil
100ml lemon juice
1/2 tsp Thai fish sauce
1 heaped tsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground paprika
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp hot chilli powder
1 handful flat-leaf parsley
1 handful coriander

COUSCOUS
100g couscous
1 tsp salt
100g butter, cubed
1 small handful sultanas

The day before cooking, put all the ingredients for the chermoula ina blender and process until smooth. Pour over the bird and marinate in the fridge overnight.

Next day, heat the oven to 220 degrees centigrade (gas 7). Heat a little olive oil in a large frying pan and brown the bird on all sides over a high heat. Put the carrots, onions and fruit into the tagine and place the guinea fowl on top. Pour in about 400ml water – enough to come 1cm from the top of the tagine base. Cover and cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, then turn the heat down to 180 degrees centigrade (gas 4) and cook for another 45 minutes.

About 15 minutes before serving, rinse the couscous in cold water and put in a shallow bowl. Season with salt and scatter with the butter and sultanas. Pour on enough boiling water to cover the couscous by about 1cm. Cover and leave for 10 minutes or until the grains are plump and tender.

Open the tagine at the table and scatter with the preserved lemon and mint. Serve the couscous and harissa separately.rested chicken over the dish as well. Sprinkle with the last of the chopped herbs.

Click here for Chicken Tarragon recipe.

John Torode’s Chicken and Other Birds is published by Quadrille.
www.quadrille.co.uk

At the back of the book is a list of Poultry and Game Dealers, retailers, farms, stalls and online retailers.