There are few better pairings than pâté and baguette. These crunchy croûtes provide textural contrast to the creamy pâté, but if you prefer fresh baguette, go for it.
Ingredients
Port reduction
Port jelly
Croûtes
Method
Main
1.Preheat oven to 160C. For Port reduction, boil all the ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat without stirring until syrupy and reduced to 2 tbsp (10-15 minutes). Remove thyme and peppercorns (discard) and pour reduction immediately into a blender.
2.Melt butter gently in a wide saucepan over low heat, add livers and turn occasionally until just opaque and half-cooked (5-10 minutes), then transfer to a blender with Port reduction and eggs, season well with sea salt flakes and blend until smooth. Add cream and pulse to combine, then strain through a fine sieve.
3.Pour liver mixture into a buttered 1.5-litre pâté dish, cover tightly with a lid or foil, place in a roasting pan with enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides and bake until pâté is just set (35-40 minutes). Set aside to cool, then refrigerate for 1 hour.
4.Meanwhile, for Port jelly, soften gelatine in 100 ml Port (3-5 minutes). Gently bring remaining Port to the simmer over medium heat, add gelatine mixture and stir to dissolve. Cool then pour over pâté and refrigerate for a further 1-2 hours until jelly and pâté are chilled and set.
5.For croûtes, preheat oven to 180C. Brush baguette slices with olive oil, then bake, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp (5-10 mins). Serve at room temperature with pâté.
