Chicken liver pate

You think you know this one only too well - it's become a more or less dull-to-awful staple of so many cheapo bistro menus and mass-catered events. But there's potential in the humble chicken liver. It's so much less fatty than you'd think, and packed with iron too - a good choice for keeping your favourite carnivores happy as it tastes so meaty. The classic chicken liver parfait is a nutritional minefield, however, boobytrapped with butter, egg yolks and double cream. So this is a slender, dairyfree version - no butter, cream or eggs, but it's transformed into something pretty damn good by a trio of magic ingredients. The first is anchovies (yes really) - all they do is give it a rich salty kick, there is nothing fishy about the finished mixture. The next is lemon juice - not so surprising, as it cuts that claggy over-richness that livers can have. The third is a bit expensive, but it does do something luscious to the mixture - a good sweet red wine. You can use hefty old-fashioned sherry - an oloroso or similar - but get the sweet red wine if you can. A dessert wine, or a vinsanto. You can buy it in half bottles in most supermarkets, and you don't use much - the rest you can serve in tiny glasses to drink with the pate, as in my picture.

Take 500g chuicken livers and cut away any bits you don't like the look of - although supermarkets usually sell them quite well-cleaned. Fry them not too fast in a small amount of olive oil, turning and squishing them a bit as you go; add 6/7 anchovy fillets (the little ones that come in tins or jars, and are a staple of my storecupboard, are fine) and stir them in until they melt away. When the livers are gently browned add the juice of a whole lemon, stirring all the time, and about 150ml of sweet red wine. You won't need salt because of the anchovies so just add a very generous amount of ground black pepper, and - if you like - a pinch of chilli powder. Let the whole lot bubble away for about 10 mins, or until there is no more pink in the middle of the livers and they are just cooked, then leave to cool a bit. Stick it all in the food processor and whizz it up until smooth, put it in a bowl in the fridge to set - and there you are.

This makes a tuck-in family supper stand-by but will do fine for guests as well - you can dress it up with posh bread and smart leaves (an oily-lemony-mustardy dressing goes well), or make a bruscetta by piling it onto Italian bread brushed with garlicky oil and toasted under the grill . . . whatever. It's quick, cheap and popular, can be made ages in advance, fit for kings. And queens. And princesses.