DUCK LIVER PATE
(Makes 6-7 individual pate pots)

Bridel Brittany butter, is made with the the best quality cream imbued with sea salt crystals, in it's absence use ordinary salted butter. Serve the following recipe with hot crispy toast using a variety of brown and white artisan breads. Toasted brioche is also good and a dollop of good Chutney won't go amiss either.

• 175g (6oz) Bridel Brittany butter with sea salt crystals (from Waitrose), or salted butter
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 shallots, finely chopped
• 4 large garlics, finely crushed
• 1 rounded tbls sage, finely chopped
• 1 rounded tbls thyme, finely chopped
• 800g - 900g (13/4 - 2lbs) Waitrose fresh duck livers
• 2 X 5cm (2in) strips of mandarin peel
• 5tbls brandy
• freshly ground black pepper

To finish
• warm clarified butter (made from 140g (5oz) Bridel Brittany butter with sea salt crystals)

For the garnish
• green, black or red peppercorns, small bay, sage, or thyme leaves

(1) Add 25g (1oz) butter to a frying pan and fry the onions very gently until golden and lightly caramelised. Add an extra 25g (1oz) of butter, then add the garlic, sage, thyme and half of the chicken livers and stir-fry with the mandarin zest for a minute or two over a high heat until the livers are cooked through. Add seasoning. Remove from the pan scrape them into a bowl and set aside, while you cook the remaining livers. Finally return the cooked livers back to the pan and stir-fry them together with the cooked livers in the pan for a further minute or two.

(2) Remove the duck liver mixture from the heat and chop the remaining butter through the warm mixture followed by the brandy. Scrape with any juices into the bowl of a processor (removing any visible strips of mandarin peel) and process until the mixture is fairly smooth. then spoon into individual tureens and smooth with the back of a spoon.

(3) Leave to chill in the fridge, then decorate the tops with herbs and a few peppercorns. Seal with the luke warm clarified butter and refrigerate for 2-3 hours until set.