400g fresh duck or chicken livers
1 1⁄2 tsp sea salt
4 eggs
400g unsalted butter, melted
180g clarified butter, melted
1 French baguette
spiced cherries
1 cup amarena cherries
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
2 star anise
1 cinnamon quill
reduction
1 garlic clove, chopped
100g shallots, peeled and chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
150ml dry Madeira
150ml ruby Port
50ml brandy
TO SERVE: cornichons
1 To make spiced cherries, place cherries, vinegar, star anise and cinnamon in a small saucepan over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until reduced to a thick glaze.
2To make reduction, place garlic, shallots, thyme, Madeira, Port and brandy in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to simmer and cook until reduced by half. Strain out solids and discard. Set aside.
3 Preheat oven to 120°C.
4Place livers, salt, eggs and unsalted butter in a food processor. Add reduction and process until smooth. Pass mixture through a fine sieve and spoon into 1 litre terrine tin. Tap on bench to remove air bubbles and smooth surface. Cover with baking paper and wrap tightly in foil. Bake, rotating tin once, for 40-50 minutes or until just set like a soft jelly.
5Pour over melted clarified butter to seal. Refrigerate for 5 hours or overnight.
6Pull fluffy centre from baguette, drizzle with olive oil and grill for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Serve immediately with parfait, spiced cherries and cornichons.
The powerful flavours of duck livers are supercharged by the butter. The wine match needs some grunt while still being fresh and bright with sufficient acidity to cut through the uber-rich parfait. Enter Jonathan Hughes’ punchy rosé. It’s a sideways step from the usual pale, pretty style with merlot as its base variety. A splash of pinot noir lifts the perfumes and brings an extra thrust of acidity. Even the fuchsia colour eschews the norm, an indication of the extra depth and length of the wine.