Chicken liver parfait (Parfait de foies de volaille)

1. Clean the chicken livers (remove the sinewy and greenish parts), rinse and pat dry.

2. In a pan, soften the finely chopped shallot in a little butter, then add the livers and sear them over high heat just until cooked through outside (keep them pink inside).

3. Pour in the cognac and let the alcohol cook off for a few seconds.

4. Put the warm livers with the shallot and pan juices into a food processor and blend completely smooth with the remaining soft butter and the cream.

5. Pass through a fine sieve to make it silky, season with salt and pepper, then smooth into a jar or terrine.

6. Chill for at least 4 hours (ideally overnight) to set, then serve with freshly toasted baguette.

Tip: A parfait is the finest, silkiest version of liver – passing it through a sieve makes it velvety. Don't overcook the livers, so the result stays nicely pink and creamy.