• Melt 25g of the salted butter in a large frying pan and cook the onion, carrot, celery and garlic for 20 minutes over a low heat, until very soft. Stir occasionally and make sure the mixture is always in an even layer in the frying pan.
• While this is cooking, trim the chicken livers of any gristle and cut off any discoloured bits. Pat dry on kitchen roll.
• Remove the softened vegetables with a slotted spoon to the bowl of your food processor.
• Heat the frying pan again over a high heat. Add the livers and 15g of the salted butter. Fry for 3 minutes, turning them as they brown, until they are nicely browned and crisp on the outside but still pink and juicy in the middle. Add the chopped lemon thyme and 1 tbsp of your chosen tipple, bubble for 1 minute and then tip into the food processor bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Add the remaining 260g of salted butter and blitz in pulses, for about 10 seconds, until fairly smooth – I like a bit of texture (it’s not a parfait).

Make the clarified butter and assemble:

• Make the clarified butter - in a small saucepan, melt the butter on a low heat then transfer it to a small clear dish or glass. Alternatively, put the butter in a small clear dish or glass and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Allow it to stand for a few minutes, until all the oil rises to the top (you’ll see the white buttermilk sitting at the bottom of the dish/glass – this can be discarded once you’ve topped the pâté).
• Transfer the pâté into 6 ramekin dishes, smooth the tops and garnish each dish with a sprig of thyme and spoon over a thin layer of the clarified butter (approx. 2 to 2.5 tsp per dish). This will now keep for 1 to 2 weeks in the fridge if it’s sealed with the clarified butter. Once the clarified butter seal is broken, cover with cling film and eat within 2 to 3 days.
• Serve the pate with thinly sliced toasted baguette, ciabatta, crusty bread or crackers.  Remember to bring it to room temperature before serving - fridge-cold pate is a no-no!