Chicken liver pâté is a classic French dish, combining rich chicken livers with flavorful pantry staples for a silky, luxurious tasting spread. Serve it with crackers or a crusty baguette at your next party, or keep a ramekin in the fridge for indulgent anytime snacking.
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What Is Chicken Liver Pâté?
Chicken liver pâté is a rich, silky-smooth appetizer consisting of fresh chicken livers cooked in a garlicky brandy-infused butter sauce and puréed to a creamy, spreadable consistency. Known as pâté de fois de volaille in French, this classic appetizer is made with the chicken offal (organ meat), which is a popular ingredient in traditional French cooking.
In comparison to a terrine, which features coarser chunks of meat, pâté is a more mousse-like spread with a delicately meaty flavor. Traditionally served on crostini, or as part of a charcuterie board with slices of crusty baguette or crackers, this deceptively fancy pâté is guaranteed to wow your guests at your next wine-fueled dinner party.
3 Tips for Making Chicken Liver Pâté
These simple tips will help guide you through the organ-prepping process.
- 1. Soak the livers. Soaking the livers in milk prior to preparing the pâté will mellow out the intense flavor. Unless you prefer a stronger-tasting pâté, soak the livers in milk for one to two hours before draining and chopping for a milder and more refined flavor.
- 2. Avoid a grainy pâté. Overcooked livers are the most likely reason for a grainy pâté. For a smooth, silky texture make sure to cook the livers until just lightly browned before blending. For an extremely smooth pâté, you can go the extra mile by pushing the puréed mixture through a fine strainer after blending to remove any unwanted bits of texture.
- 3. Store the pâté properly. If you’re not planning to eat your pâté immediately, it’s important to properly store the leftovers with a protective layer of fat. Top the pâté with two tablespoons of melted butter, lard, or clarified butter—which will firm up when chilled—and wrap the container in plastic wrap before placing it in the refrigerator. With the butter layer, the pâté will last at least one week in the refrigerator; without it, it’s best to consume the spread within one to two days.
Chicken Liver Pâté Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
2 hr 30 mincook time
15 minIngredients
- 1
Prepare the chicken livers by cutting off the fat and connective tissue.
- 2
After removing and discarding the fat, roughly chop the chicken livers and place them in a bowl. Cover with milk and set aside for one hour (optional).
- 3
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, melt ¼ cup of the butter.
- 4
Add the minced onion to the pan and cook until slightly softened, 2–3 minutes.
- 5
Add the minced garlic to the pan and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- 6
Add the chopped livers to the pan and sauté until the meat is lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- 7
Add the brandy and bay leaves to the pan and increase the heat to medium-high heat.
- 8
Stirring frequently, continue cooking the livers until most of the liquid has evaporated and the sauce has thickened, 2–3 minutes.
- 9
Remove the pan from the heat, and discard the bay leaves.
- 10
Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor or blender.
- 11
Add the thyme, salt and pepper, and the remaining butter to the food processor with the livers, and purée the ingredients until very smooth, scraping down the sides of the processor with a rubber spatula as necessary.
- 12
Divide the pâté among two ramekins and place a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the spread, gently pressing it down into the surface of the pate.
- 13
Transfer the pâté to the refrigerator to cool for about 1 hour, until it has firmed up.
- 14
Serve the pâté chilled with baguette slices.
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