Chicken Liver Pâté on Crostini with Quince Jelly

You'd never guess from the floral flavour of rose-coloured quince jelly that raw quince is quite tart. The jelly, finished here with star anise for a hint of licorice (a classic pairing), makes a good match for silken chicken-liver pâté.

1½ sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
3 shallots, finely chopped
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 lb chicken livers, rinsed and trimmed
coarse sea salt
black pepper, freshly cracked
⅛ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
½ cup dry white wine
1 tsp. fresh thyme
1 medium baguette, sliced lengthwise into ¼” thick rounds
extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing
Fleur de sel or coarse salt, for sprinkling
1 recipe Quince Jelly with Star Anise

Line a 4x6” loaf pan with plastic wrap.

Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until foamy. Cook shallots and garlic until softened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken livers, 1 tsp. coarse salt, and the cayenne, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and add wine and thyme. Return to heat, and cook, covered, until liquid reduces by half, about 6 minutes.

Pulse chicken livers, pan juices, and remaining 10 Tbsp. butter in a food processor until smooth. Season with coarse salt and pepper. Pour into pan, and smooth with an offset spatula; refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5).

Brush baguette with oil, and toast until golden. Sprinkle with fleur de sel.

Turn out pate from pan. Spread pate and quince jelly on crostini.

Makes 30.