CHICKEN LIVER & PHEASANT PATE

Being a country boy and a keen shooter, we are never short of game meats and the freezer is generally packed full with offerings.  I hate to see anything go to waste and make sure I use everything we get.

This week I made this chicken liver and pheasant pate or is it a terrine? I'm not sure of the definition but either way, it was delightful and pretty simple to make.

Ingredients

500gm chicken livers, 2 pheasant breasts and 2 pheasant thighs4 slices of parma ham or bacon,

 4 cloves of garlic (chopped), olive oil, butter, salt, pepper, glass of red wine

Chop the pheasant and flash fry in a pan with olive oil and two cloves of garlic just enough to lightly brown the outside (you don't have to fry but I think it adds more flavour)

Do the same with the chicken livers and the remaining garlic and put aside.

Deglaze the pan by adding the wine whilst scraping off the meaty residue (sticky bits) 

heat and stir whilst it reduces down and then add to the blender with the pheasant and chicken livers

Season with salt and pepper and whizz to a puree.

Grease the baking tin and line with the parma ham or bacon

Spoon in the pate mix

Cover with greaseproof paper and bake in a bain marie for an hour and a half at 160 degrees.

Allow to cool completely and then refrigerate, preferably overnight, before turning out.

Pate is traditionally quite high in fat, however this recipe uses very little. 

The texture is firm, smooth with no chunks and has a medium to strong flavour.

If you prefer a course pate, chop the pheasant rather than puree or lightly blend after the livers.