Ingredients

• 250g/9oz chilled butter
• plus extra for greasing
• 500g/1lb 2oz chicken livers
• cleaned
• 1 tbsp fresh marjoram or thyme leaves
• 5 tbsp brandy
• 75g/3oz ghee or clarified butter
• 8 slices white bread
• crusts removed
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g/7oz light soft brown sugar
• 2 shallots
• finely chopped
• 90g/3¼oz dried apricots
• finely chopped
• 300ml/10½fl oz cider vinegar
• 450g/1lb Bramley apples
• peeled
• cored and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 125g/4½oz walnut halves
• roughly chopped

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 230C/210C Fan/Gas 8. Grease a terrine or loaf tin with butter then line with 2 layers of cling film
• leaving a generous overhang at the edges.
• Arrange the chicken livers in a single layer in a large roasting tray
• sprinkle over the marjoram or thyme and drizzle over the brandy. Season with salt and pepper
• then roast for 4-5 minutes
• or until the livers are cooked on the outside but still just pink in the centre.
• Transfer the contents of the roasting tray to a food processor and blend to a fine purée with the chilled butter. Season again
• to taste.
• Spoon the mixture into the prepared terrine and smooth the top with a palette knife. Cover the top with the overhanging cling film. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes
• then top with the clarified butter and chill for a further 2 hours
• until set.
• Meanwhile
• for the chutney
• heat the sugar in a large
• heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat
• until melted and caramelised
• then add the shallots and apricots. The mixture will become lumpy
• but keep the pan on the heat and continue to cook.
• Add the cider vinegar and cook until incorporated into the mixture
• then stir in the Bramley apples
• cinnamon and cloves and cook for 10 minutes
• stirring well
• until the apples are tender and the chutney has thickened.
• Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the walnuts
• then season
• to taste
• with salt and pepper. Transfer to a sterilised jar and seal
• or serve straight away.
• Just before serving
• make the Melba toast. Preheat the grill to medium
• toast the bread slices until pale golden-brown on both sides
• then cut each bread slice in half horizontally to create 2 thinner slices
• with one toasted side and one untoasted side. Remove any excess dough from the untoasted side - the aim is to make the slices as thin as possible so that every crumb toasts well. Cut the slices into triangles then grill the untoasted sides until golden-brown.
• To serve
• peel the cling film from the surface of the pâté
• upturn the terrine onto a plate
• lift off the terrine and peel away the cling film. Slice and serve with the chutney and Melba toast.