Duck liver paté with cranberry jelly and ciabatta melba

Cook the onions over a very low heat with one tablespoon butter and one tablespoon olive oil until soft. Add the garlic and herbs and fry over low heat for a few seconds. Add another spoonful of butter to the pan, turn the heat up high and fry the livers for a minute or two until they take on lovely caramelized colour on both sides. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and the water. Add the salt and pepper, cover and cook for just a minute or two. You want the livers ever so slightly pink on the inside still. Tumble the lot into a food processor, add the cream and blitz until smooth. If you find it’s too dry, add a touch more cream.

Now you can go fancy and push this paté through a sieve to make it extra smooth and creamy. Or you can use it just as is. Place the mixture in a large bowl or several smaller bowls, cover the surface with cling film and allow to cool down. Melt the cranberry jelly with the lemon juice. Add the gelatine to a bowl with 3 tbs water and stir. Place the gelatine over a pan of lightly simmering water until it has dissolved then stir it into the warm cranberry jelly and pour it over the cold paté. Refrigerate until cold and set. This paté improves with standing, so make it a day or two before you intend to serve it.

To make the melba, slice the bread very thinly. Bread that’s a few days old slices easily. If you are working with fresh bread, simply freeze it for a few hours. You’ll find it much easier to slice thinly. Place the slices on a baking tray and bake at 100 degrees Celsius until they’re hard and dry. Store in an airtight container.