Fino Liver Paté
Sauce Rose: 4 des-spn mayonnaise, 4 des-spn tomato ketchup, 2 pinches of garlic powder, 1 des-spn sunflower oil, sprinkling of black pepper. 1. De-frost prawns, pat dry on kitchen paper or cloth. 2. In four fruit bowls or small soup plates, sprinkle the finely sliced lettuce over the base. 3. Arrange the sliced cucumber around the edges. 4. Share out the defrosted prawns on to the four bowls. 5 Make the Sauce Rose (simply whisk together all the ingredients very well) and spoon equally on to the four portions of prawns.
6. Grind a little black pepper over the top and decorate the prawns with a couple of black olives, otherwise a little chopped parsley or snippets of chives, as in my picture.
7. Serve with brown bread and butter or slivers of toasted or griddled Pitta Bread and a glass of chilled Chardonnay.
This is my take on the popular chicken liver paté, which I have given a taste lift by adding bacon, onion, mushrooms and garlic, with some Fino dry sherry.
Rather superior in my view. Time was when I made it with KEO Fino Cyprus sherry.
Alas, due in my view to poor marketing, sales were small and this superb aperitif was withdrawn.
So, now we use a Spanish Fino.
1. Trim all fat and gristle away from the chicken livers. If the chicken hearts are attached, let them be, they will add to the flavour. Slice coarsely.
2. In a medium frying-pan, heat 30 grams of the butter until sizzling and add the onions, garlic, bacon, herbs, spices and mushrooms. Stir regularly and cook until beginning to turn brown. Remove and put into your food processor.
3. Put another 30 g of butter into the pan and fry the livers for around 5 minutes until cooked through (“pinky”), remove, and put into the food processor.
4. Put remaining butter and sherry, salt and pepper, into food processor and whiz until smooth and creamy.
5. Spoon into a medium bowl or individual ramekins. Pour a little melted butter over the top to add a final rich touch.
6. Refrigerate for at least three hours.
Serve with “Fino”, or a very dry white wine.