Chicken liver pate baked in a terrine

Use a terrine, a ceramic dish with a lid that has a small hole so steam can escape.

Chemiser the terrine: brush it all over with melted butter, then add about a tablespoon of flour, shake it up to the edges and tip out the excess.

Combine the cream and the milk in the blender, add the onion, shallot and garlic and process on high speed until very fine, scraping the sides down once and processing again.

Add the livers with the pork loin and the eggs, breaking each egg separately first in case one is bad.

Add the flour, the remaining butter, the white wine and the herbs -- thyme, sage and about a tablespoon of finely chopped parsley.

Season with salt and freshly ground peppercorns. Butchers use a curing salt that keeps the liver pink by preventing oxidation of the blood; at home add a pinch of sugar instead.

Blend again on high speed until totally smooth.

Cook a spoonful of the mix in a ramekin in the microwave for a few seconds and taste it to check the seasoning, then adjust.

Pour the mixture into the terrine, holding the blender blade back, and level the top.

Fill the bain-marie with boiling water and bake in a preheated oven about one hour.

Take it out -- it will have puffed a little -- stand the terrine on a plate, cool about an hour, then refrigerate overnight.

Serve cold with crusty bread or baguette, gherkins and pickled pearl onions. The colour is paler than a shop pate because there are no preservatives or food colouring.