Chicken liver has a delicate flavor and soft texture that makes a subtle introduction to any meal, and here it is made into a particularly creamy parfait. The contrast with the sweet jello and the slight sharpness of the orange zest set the flavors off perfectly.
Ingredients
- A little oil, for greasing
- 3½ tablespoons Clarified Butter
- ¼ cup thinly sliced shallots
- 12 ounces chicken livers (about 1½ cups), trimmed
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- scant 1 cup unsalted butter, softened and cubed
- 30 green or red seedless grapes, cut into bunches of 5
- 1½ envelops gelatin
- scant ⅔ cup sweet muscat wine
- 1 grated orange zest
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Fresh bread or toast, to serve
How to Make It
- Lightly oil a 7- or 8-inch round cake pan and line it with plastic wrap. Melt half the clarified butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and fry 3 minutes until just browned, then tip into a blender.
- Reheat the skillet, add the remaining clarified butter and the livers and cook 2 minutes on each side until browned on the outside but still just pink in the center. Scrape the livers and butter into the blender containing the shallots.
- Return the skillet to the heat and carefully add the brandy. Don’t stand too close as it is could catch fire. Deglaze the pan by stirring to remove any caramelized bits stuck to the bottom, then scrape everything into the blender with the other ingredients. Add the cream and season well with salt and pepper. Blitz until gently pureed. With the blender running, gradually add the butter, a piece at a time, until it is all combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 4 hours in the refrigerator until set. Put the grapes on a baking sheet and freeze at least 2 hours.
- Once the parfait is just set, make the jello. Put the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water and leave to soak for a few minutes until soft. Put the wine in a pot over low heat to warm through—you don’t want it to boil—then remove from the heat and add the orange zest. Slowly and gently whisk in the gelatin sheets one at a time. Transfer to a jug and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Gently pour the sweet wine jelly on top of the parfait, then cover and return it to the refrigerator at least 2 hours to set.
- To serve, gently loosen the plastic wrap around the edges and turn the parfait out onto a cutting board. Cut into cake-style wedges using a knife dipped in boiling water, then serve with fresh bread or toast, and the frozen grapes.