Method
First trim the livers, removing any of the bitter-tasting green bile sack. Soak in milk for half an hour, this removes any impurities from the livers. Rinse and pat dry with kitchen paper. Crush the peppercorns. Take 50g of the butter and heat in a pan, add the shallots and soften over a low heat. Add the prepared livers, garlic, thyme and peppercorns. Slowly turn up the heat and cook the lives until they are sealed. Add the brandy, port or sherry make a good substitute. Bring the heat up and cook briskly for about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and lift out the sprig of thyme. Transfer to a processor and whiz. Melt 100g of the remaining butter and add to the mixture together with the cream. Blend until a smooth mixture is achieved. Season. Spoon the pate into 6 small ramekins, espresso cups work well as an interesting alternative. Melt the remaining 50g of butter in a small pan and allow to settle for a minutes. The solids will settle to the bottom, allowing you to pour the remaining clarified butter over the tops of the pate. Decorate with a few green peppercorns and a small sprig of fresh thyme. Refrigerate for a couple of hours until set. Serve at room temperature with toasted brioche and a good quality fruit chutney.