Duck Liver Paté With Sweet And Sour Onions - cooking recipe

Ingredients

8 oz free-range duck livers
2 oz thick pancetta, chopped
1 None large onion, peeled and chopped coarsely
1 clove garlic, chopped coarsely
1/4 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
7 tbsp butter, chopped, at room temperature
1 loaf sourdough bread or baguettes (about 1 lb)
None None Sweet and Sour Onions
2 None medium red onions, peeled and quartered
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup red wine
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp currants
2 tsp thyme leaves

Preparation

Rinse the duck livers under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the duck livers of any connective tissue and cut away any green-stained liver.
Cook the pancetta, onion and garlic in a large frying pan until browned. Add the stock and oregano and cook, stirring, and bring to a boil.
Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based frying pan and cook the duck livers until just firm, but pink on the inside. Season well. Add the vinegar to the pan and cook, stirring, until the liquid boils.
Combine the livers, pancetta and the onion mixture, and the butter in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, than press through a sieve. Puree the mixture again until smooth. Season to taste then cover and refrigerate for several hours.
Meanwhile, to make the sweet and sour onions, heat the oil in a shallow frying pan and add the onion and sugar. Cook over a medium heat, stirring occasionally, for about 15 mins or until the onions are browned lightly and caramelized. Add the wine and vinegar and cook, stirring, until half of the liquid has evaporated. Add the currants and continue to reduce over a medium heat until the liquid coats the back of a spoon. Add the thyme and season to taste. Leave to cool to room temperature.
Next, make the croutons. Preheat the oven to 425\u00b0F. Using a serrated knife, cut the crusts squarely off the bread, then cut the bread into logs and finally slice thinly into individual squares of about 1 inch each. If using a baguette, slice thinly. Lay the bread slices on a large baking tray and bake in a 350F oven until browned and crisp. Cool to room temperature.
To serve, place a dollop of the sweet and sour onions on each crouton. Using a teaspoon dipped in hot water, scoop out dainty dollops of pate and nest on top of the onions.