Chicken Liver Crostini

Clean the livers and remove any membrane.

Heat the butter and oil in a sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the garlic and livers and cook until the livers are golden on the outside and still pink and juicy in the middle – about 5 minutes.

Add the Marsala and sage and cook for another 2 minutes. Leave to cool for a few minutes, then tip into a food processor. Add the remaining ingredients, blend until smooth and season to taste. Cool then refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve.

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Crostini: Brush each slice of baguette with olive oil and place on a baking tray. Bake until crisp and lightly golden.

To serve: Spread the livers generously onto the crostini and sprinkle with chopped parsley or crisp fried sage leaves. To make these, heat olive oil in a small pan and gently fry small sage leaves until they change to a dark green. Drain well on paper towels. Makes about 1½ cups

Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily. Dry Marsala can be drunk as an aperitif or added to savoury dishes. The sweet version is used in cooking, such as in the classic dessert, Zabaglione.