Thursday, December 17, 2015

Chicken Liver Parfait - A French Classic For The Hoilday Season


 

 The Holidays are ante portas and I have no idea why but despite of having organized everything in advance, there are still so many things to do.

We just came back from a short trip from Washington DC and enjoyed the Christmas spirit there a lot.
Gorgeous decoration at the National Art Gallery. 
Now we are back to Peru  and traffic is crazy these days in Lima, well, actually not only these days, it's ALWAYS crazy, but now worse than ever. If you want to learn more about Lima traffic, I recommend this video:  :)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4iJ3uhX3xI
But let's better concentrate on the Holiday menu. For me,it's a kind of therapy cooking.
As soon as I get in the kitchen and focus on preparing something creative and nice, I feel relaxed and at peace. Sorry, Dr. Freud , no need of a psychoanalysis.
And what about you?
Still looking for something special to surprise friends and family?
Chicken liver parfait is a classic for a festive table.
Elegant, easy to prepare and put together in no time at all, this dish looks like zou would have spent hours in the kitchen.
It's rich, silky texture will melt in your mouth and you won't regret a moment.
Here is what you need: 
300g butter, soft
1/2 cup of chopped onions
2 garlic gloves, crushed
2 spoonfuls of sage leaves
400g chicken liver, organic
2 spoonful Cognac
1 spoonful Madeira
 2 spoonful olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 slice of white bread to absorb the juices (optional)
Instructions:

Heat olive oil and butter in a large frying pan.
Add onions and crushed garlic and sweat them until soft.

 Then add chicken liver and sage leavesand cook with the onions.

 *Be careful not to overcook the chicken liver, to avoid that it becomes bitter.
The liver should still be slightly pink inside.
Add cognac and Madeira to the pan and cook for two more minutes.

 Season with salt and pepper. set aside to allow the mixture to cool down.
*In case the liquids have not quite absorbed, use a piece of white bread to absorb the juices.
It would be a pity to loose them, because all the flavors are there.*
Place the mixture in a food processor and blend.

 With the motor still running, add the remaining butter and blend until smooth and creamy.
Pass the mixture through a sieve pushing the liver through with a wooden spoon into a bowl.
This will discard all impurities.
Spoon into a terrine dish or a ramekins and smooth the surface with a spatula.

Top with orange slices and sage leaves.

 Place in the fridge and allow to cool down at least 2 hours.
Seal with clarified butter*




Instructions for clarified butter:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan at low heat.

 on the top you will see a milky,foamy layer,on the bottom a clear yellow layer.

Remove the foamy, milky layer carefully with a spoon.

Then pour the clear layer carefully in a jug, leaving the milky layer in the pan.

Let cool down but not until soldyfying. Pour over the parfait to seal.

Store in the fridge until serving,
Serve with crisp baguette and mixed baby greens.
Tip: Chili Jam works great with it..
 For the recipe, click the link:  Chili Jam

Enjoy!
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28 comments:

  1. This sounds perfect for the holidays. I think that it looks delicious. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't see the amount of chicken liver to use for this recipe.

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  2. Hi Dawn, thanks so much for making me notice ! As I was adjusting the amount when cooking, it got somehow lost on the way when I was writing. Already corrected :)
    Have a wonderful Christmas!

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  3. wow homemade liver parfait...what a great treat!
    Have a great holiday season!
    Angie

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    Replies
    1. Hi Angie,
      thank you for your visit. Have a wonderful Christmas!

      Delete
  4. Daniela this look sooo delicious and beautiful!!! Merry Christmas dear!!
    xoxox

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    Replies
    1. Hi Gloria,
      Thanks for stopping by.
      Dear friend, have a wonderful Christmas!

      Delete
  5. Daniela - I love chicken live mousse/parfait but never make it. Thanks for the inspiration, both today and all year long! Wir wünschen Ihnen ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und alle unsere besten Wünsche für das neue Jahr!

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    Replies
    1. Hi David,
      Vielen Dank ür Ihren Besuch und das nette Kommentar.
      Wünsche Ihnen beiden ebenfalls ein frohes Weihnachtsfest und viel Freude und Glück für das kommende Jahr!

      Delete
  6. Hi Daniela, this chicken liver dish look like a great appetizer. Interesting and awesome. We do take chicken liver but mainly stir fry or make soup. Thanks for sharing your interesting recipe.

    Have a wonderful weekend, regards.
    Amelia

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    Replies
    1. Hi Amelia,
      Happy to hear from zu and thanks so much for this Great feedback.
      Have a wonderful Holiday season, my dear!

      Delete
  7. I so hear you, very organized but overwhelemd with chores! Great recipe for the holidays and guests your chicken liver parfait, and easy to make.

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    Replies
    1. HI Evelyn,
      Hope you had a wonderful Xmas and wish you all the best for 2016, dear friend!

      Delete
  8. I haven't made this in years and my husband loves it. I think I should make him happy and prepare your recipe. Merry Christmas.

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    Replies
    1. Hi Karen,
      Sorry I'm so late in answering your comment. Hope you had wonderful holidays, wishing you a 2016 Full of joy and good health!

      Delete
  9. This looks great Daniela! I've never made this before but have tried it a few times. I guess my kids will eat it if I don't tell them it's liver!!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Nazneen,
      That's definitely a good trick, I did the same when serving it to my kids and they loved it!

      Delete
  10. Stopping by to wish you a very Merry Christmas! Love this parfait - sounds wonderful!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Tricia,
      So sorr for answering so late. Hope you had wonderful holidays, wishing you a 2016 filled with joy and good health. So looking forward for your new posts.

      Delete
  11. This looks terrific! I hope you enjoyed your Christmas and all the best in the new year!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Amy,
      Thank you so much for stopping by and for your good wishes.
      Hope you had a wonderful holiday season,wishing you all the best, joy, good health and success for 2016!

      Delete
  12. My husband loves chicken liver, I'm going to surprise him with this!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Sue, I'm sure your husband will enjoy it. Thanks for stopping by!

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  13. Sounds like you had a wonderful holiday. You've convinced me to visit Washington DC some year over the holidays!

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    Replies
    1. Hi Beth,
      I'm sure you would enjoy WDC during the holiday season, it's a beautiful to cherish Christmas time.

      Delete
  14. Happy New Year! This is such a great, classic dish. And one I've never made for some reason. Gotta make it this year's resolution to make this! Thanks so much.

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  15. I'm not a fan of chicken livers, but I admit that this does look good and would make a nice gift for someone- adding the chilli jam- now you're talkin'! By the way, Daniela, I just received my Wordpress Annual Report and you are mentioned as one of the top supporters of my blog (i.e. regarding the number of comments you make on my blog). Thanks so much!

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  16. It is such a classic and it's a delicious one too.

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  17. well... im not a fan of chicken livers, but i'd like to try your dish since it looks really tasty!

    ReplyDelete

 
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