Ingredients

• 225g butter
• 1 onion, peeled and diced
• 10g dried porcini (reconstituted in boiling water)
• 50g button or chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped
• 400g chicken livers, sliced in half and any membrane and green bits removed (soak in a little milk overnight if you have time, this removes any bitterness)
• 30ml brandy
• 75g clarified butter
• 4 small bay leaves

Method

1. Melt 100g of the butter in a frying pan over a moderate heat, add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions are transparent.
2. Add the mushrooms and garlic, cook for 2 minutes until the mushroom has softened.
3. Add the livers and cook for a couple of minutes until golden brown and just cooked through, you want them to be soft not chewy. Stir in the cognac and season generously with salt and pepper.
4. Place the mixture into a food processor with 50g of the remaining butter. Puree until smooth.
5. Distribute the pate into the four ramekins.
6. Melt 75 of butter over a moderate heat, skimming off the froth. Place a bay leaf on each serving of pate. Pour the butter over the top so the pate is covered (this provide a seal to help preserve it).
7. Cover and refigerate until set. Serve the pate with melba toast, slices of bread or oatcakes. Of course delicious accompanied with a good chutney.