Chicken Liver Terrine

Clean the chicken livers, removing any membranes and greenish bile marks, then rinse quickly and pat thoroughly dry. Finely chop the onion, shallot and garlic, and strip the thyme leaves from their stems.

Heat a skillet with butter and oil. Sauté the onion, shallot and garlic for 3–4 minutes until soft, add half of the liver and brown on all sides for 3–4 minutes. Pour in the brandy and cook for 1 more minute to let the alcohol partly evaporate.

Blend the remaining raw liver together with the contents of the skillet until almost smooth. Add the eggs, cream, thyme leaves, salt and black pepper; mix just until combined, without whipping air into the mixture.

Grease a terrine mould with a thin layer of butter. Set aside a few pieces of the sautéed liver for a layer, mix the rest into the liver mixture and pour it into the mould. Smooth the top and cover with a lid or foil.

Place the mould in a larger heatproof dish, pour in hot water to reach halfway up its sides, and cook in a water bath in the oven at 180°C for about 45 minutes. The terrine is done when the centre is set and a knife inserted into the middle comes out almost dry.

Remove the mould from the water bath and let the terrine cool, covered, at room temperature for 2 hours. Then refrigerate for at least 12 hours to let it firm up fully.

Serve the terrine cold: run a thin knife along the edges and cut into slices.