Ditty's

Ingredients

• 40g pecan halves
• 1 teaspoon unsalted butter
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 50g firm blue cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh flat–leaf parsley leaves
• 50g seedless grapes halved lengthwise

Method

• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
• Toast pecans in a shallow baking pan until fragrant and a shade darker, about 10 minutes. toss hot pecans in pan with butter and salt, then cool.
• Coarsely chop nuts, then toss together with cheese in a bowl, without mashing.
• Top each oatcake with a mounded teaspoon of cheese mixture, pressing together slightly.
• Top with a parsley leaf and a grape half, gently pressing them into cheese.

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 125g package cream cheese, softened 100g smoked mackerel, skin discarded and fish chopped
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Method

• Stir together shallot, lemon juice and pinch of salt
• Beat in cream cheese, mackerel, and pinch of pepper with a spoon until combined well.
• Stir in chives

Pate can be made five days in advance and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature to soften about 1 hour before serving

Ingredients

• 100g unsalted butter
• 75g finely chopped onion
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 21/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• Pinch of ground allspice
• 250g chicken livers, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons whiskey

Method

• Melt 2/3 of butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion, garlic and thyme, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in whiskey and remove from heat.
• Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.
• Melt remaining butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes.
• Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.
• Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.

Pate can be chilled up to 2 weeks. Once butter seal is broken, cover surface with cling film and chill, 1 week