Chicken liver pâté

Melt 15g of the butter in a large frying pan on a low–medium heat and, when it starts to foam, add the chicken livers. Cook for 2–4 minutes on each side – the cooking time will depend on the thickness of the livers, but they should still be slightly pink inside. Put the livers into a food processor and set aside.

Melt a further 15g of butter in the same frying pan over a medium heat, add the shallots and garlic and cook for 6–8 minutes until slightly golden. Tip in the thyme, port and brandy and continue to cook until the liquid has reduced to approximately 2 tablespoons. Be careful when adding the alcohol as it may flame, so stand well back and don’t hold the bottle of brandy or port directly over the hob.

Place the shallot mixture in the food processor with the chicken livers, making sure to scrape the pan to get all the juices in. Whiz everything together for a good few minutes until smooth, then allow to cool completely. Cut the remaining butter into cubes and add to the chicken livers, whiz together again and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Spoon into a bowl, smooth the top and store, covered in cling film, in the fridge. Allow to come up to room temperature before serving with sweet apple relish.