Name: Chicken liver and port mousse
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 2 as a starter
Ingredients: 200g unsalted butter; 2 long shallots, finely chopped; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 bay leaf; a few sprigs thyme, leaves picked; 400g chicken livers; 100ml port; ½ orange, zested (you’ll need ½ tsp); ground to make ½ tsp whole black peppercorns; a handful chives, finely chopped; sourdough toast and chutney, to serve

Two ramekins filled with chicken liver mousse with sourdough toast on the side

200g unsalted butter
2 long shallots
finely chopped
5 cloves garlic
finely chopped
1 bay leaf
a few sprigs thyme
leaves picked
400g chicken livers
100ml port
½ orange
zested (you’ll need ½ tsp)
ground to make ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
a handful chives
finely chopped
sourdough toast and chutney
to serve

Method

step 1
Heat 100g of the butter in a small pan over a medium heat and gently cook the shallots, garlic, bay and thyme leaves with a pinch of salt for 10 minutes until the shallots have softened.
step 2
Tip in the chicken livers and cook for 5 minutes until they are nearly cooked through. Pour in the port and bubble until the liquid has reduced by half. Remove from the heat and sprinkle in the orange zest and black pepper.
step 3
Remove the bay, then tip the mixture into a food processor and blitz until smooth. Push through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, then taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
step 4
Divide the mousse between two ramekins, then scrape any left-over mousse into a serving dish. Melt the remaining butter in a small pan over a low heat, then pour this over the tops of the mousses, ensuring they are completely covered. Immediately sprinkle over the chives, then chill until needed. Serve with warm slices of toast and chutney.