Check the chicken livers for any greenish stains and cut them off as even a scrap will make the pâté bitter. At the same time pull each lobe away from its connecting threads.

Heat 80g of the butter in a large non-stick frying pan until just foaming. Add the bacon and the onions, add the thyme, season well and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until the onions are soft and the bacon is thoroughly cooked.
Remove with a slotted spoon and put into a food processor.
Reheat the pan with more butter if necessary. Add the livers and fry quickly until cooked but still quite soft in the middle, about 2 minutes.

Increase the heat, Add the brandy and carefully ignite it with a match, tilting the pan to spread the flames across the livers. Season with a little salt, pepper and grated nutmeg, remove and add to the food processor.
Deglaze the pan with port, bubbling it away until you have only a couple of tablespoons remaining, then scrape the pan into the food processor.

Blend everything in the food processor, then pass the pâté through a coarse sieve as well. Return the pâté to the food processor and blend in the remaining 170g melted butter. Check the seasoning then press the pâté into a ceramic crock or individual pots and chill well.

The surface of the pâté will gradually oxidize - that is, it will darken in contact with the air. If you wish to avoid this, cover the pâté with a thin layer of clarified butter once it's in the pot/s.

Cut the livers into roughly 1.5cm pieces, and heat a knob of butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the shallot and thyme and soften, then turn up the heat to medium-high, add the livers and sauté for a couple of minutes until browned on the outside but still pink inside. Tip into a food processor. Add the Madeira to the pan and boil until reduced to a couple of tablespoons. Tip into the food processor, add the cream, salt and spices and whizz until smooth. Add all but 75g of the butter, and whizz again. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Pass through a sieve into a serving dish and chill for half an hour. Melt the remaining butter and pour on top, then refrigerate until set.

Marinate the zest in the juice for at least 1 hour.

Toss the liver in 1tbsp of the olive oil Heat a frying pan or wok until very hot. The livers need a sharp burst of heat so if your frying pan is small, cook them in several batches. Quickly fry the livers for about 2 minutes - they should be brown on the outside and pink in the centre. Turn out the livers onto kitchen paper, then pour the stock or water into the pan and bring to the boil. Add the garlic, half the cheese, the crème fraîche, a little grated nutmeg, and black pepper, then mix this the remaining olive oil in a blender. Sharpen the sauce with a little lemon juice.

Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling, salted water then drain and season.

Half-fill a small frying pan with sunflower oil and heat. Have a sieve and another pan to hand. Drain the zest and fry it, quickly and carefully. The zest will colour almost instantly so stop the process by tipping the oil through the sieve into the other pan.
Toss the livers in the pasta, then pour on the sauce and scatter the rest of the cheese, the parsley, and fried lemon zest on top.

Soak the chicken livers in the milk, 500ml/18fl oz water and two teaspoons of the salt in a shallow dish for one hour. This will draw out most of the blood, which can make the livers bitter, giving the parfait a more delicate flavour. Rinse and drain the livers well.

Preheat the oven to 130C/270F/Gas ½.

Put the Madeira, port, shallots, thyme, garlic and Cognac in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Let the mixture bubble until reduced by one-third and then remove the pan from the heat. The bitterness of the alcohol will have evaporated off and the flavours of the herbs will infuse into the liquid.

Place the drained chicken livers and the contents of the pan in a blender or food processor and process, adding one egg at a time, for 3-4 minutes, or until the texture is silky smooth.

Gradually add the melted butter (if you add it too quickly, the parfait may split), the remaining salt and the pepper. Taste the mixture and correct the seasoning if necessary.

Line the base and sides of a 23cm x 9cm x 8cm/9in x 3½in x 3in terrine tin with greaseproof paper, leaving a 3cm/1in overlap above the top of the tin. The paper will protect the parfait from direct heat and prevent it discolouring and becoming hard.

Using the back of a ladle, press the parfait mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl then pour into the terrine tin and cover with another piece of greaseproof paper cut to fit.

Place the terrine in a deep baking tray and pour in boiling water until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the sides of the tin. This bain marie method of cooking allows the heat of the oven to permeate through the water and cook the parfait very gently so that it is cooked though evenly.

Cover the tray loosely with a sheet of perforated foil and place it in the oven. Check the temperature of the parfait with a temperature probe after 40 minutes - the parfait is cooked when the middle has reached 65C-70C/150F-158F. Do not overcook or it will split and lose its fine texture.

When the parfait is cooked, remove the terrine tin from the baking tray, leave it to cool for 30 minutes at room temperature then refrigerate.

Discard the greaseproof paper from the top of the parfait then dip the tin in a deep tray of hot water. Slide a hot knife between the sides of the tin and the greaseproof lining then hold the edges of the lining and carefully lift the parfait from the tin onto a chopping board.

Peel away the greaseproof paper from the sides of the parfait. Warm a palette knife in hot water and smooth the top and sides of the parfait, trimming away any discolouration on the top. Return the parfait to the fridge for at least 30 minutes to firm it up, or place it in the freezer for 15 minutes.

To finish, beat the softened butter and lard together and spread a thin layer over the top of the parfait using a palette knife.

Line a flat baking tray with a sheet of clean greaseproof paper. Flip the parfait over onto the tray and spread the remaining butter/lard mixture over the sides and what has now become the top. Covering all the surfaces of the parfait with this mixture will prevent it from oxidising and discolouring.

Return the parfait to the fridge and chill for at least one day before serving; two days is ideal.

To serve, dip a knife into hot water and cut the parfait into thick slices. Serve with chutneys, pickles and toasted sourdough bread, or spread onto crostini to serve as canapés. Red Burgundy is the perfect wine match.

Make the sauce:
Toss the liver in 1tbsp of the olive oil Heat a frying pan or wok until very hot. The livers need a sharp burst of heat so if your frying pan is small, cook them in several batches. Quickly fry the livers for about 2 minutes - they should be brown on the outside and pink in the centre. Turn out the livers into a food processor or blender.
Pour water or stock into the pan and bring to the boil. Add the garlic, cheese, it might make sense to add all the recipe's garlic and cheese now? the crème fraîche, a little grated nutmeg, and black pepper, then mix everything with the remaining olive oil in a blender. Sharpen the sauce with a little lemon juice.

Make the pasta:
Boil your choice of pasta. Farfalle is nice.
Meanwhile,
finely slice (or chop) the chorizo I reckon bacon would work pretty well too - plus liver and bacon is a traditional combination, roughly chop a large bunch of parsley,
crush the garlic,
zest the lemon,
finely slice the chilli if using,
grate the cheese.

When the pasta is cooked drain it and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat, lubricate with olive oil and add the chorizo and any herbs you fancy. Fry for a short time until it colours, then add the crushed garlic and stir through. Throw in the chilli, lemon zest, and parsley to fry briefly, then add the liver sauce. Loosen with some pasta water if required.
Return the pasta to the pan, add most of the Parmesan, enough cream to coat and stir until mixed through. Don't overheat at this stage or the sauce may curdle. It should give the pasta a smooth glossy covering.

Serve topped with extra Parmesan (and some reserved parsley and lemon zest if you like - the deep-fried lemon zest above seems like a good idea too).

Stone dates.
Stuff with liver pâté a touch of lemon peel might be quite nice.
Wrap in bacon (secured with a cocktail stick if necessary).
Grill or roast until the bacon is cooked.
Serve drizzled with lemon juice if you like.