Chicken Liver Pâté
A classic appetiser, and one of my favourite gifts to give away come the festive season, this rich and smooth chicken liver pâté will elevate any charcuterie board.
Servings: 8 serves
Ingredients
Pâté
- 500 g chicken livers trimmed and diced
- 60 g butter
- 80 g shallots diced
- 100 g mushrooms sliced
- 100 g bacon diced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 bayleaf
- 60 mL brandy or port
- 125 mL cream
- Salt to taste
- 30 g tinned/jarred green peppercorns drained
Clarified butter topping
- 80 g butter
- Fresh thyme sprig or sage leaves
Instructions
Pâté
- Rinse chicken livers under cold running water and drain, before patting dry with a paper towel.
- Melt butter in a fry pan over medium-high heat until it begins to foam. Add livers (do this in two batches if necessary), and cook for five minutes or so, until lightly browned on the outside and pink in the centre before removing from the pan.
- Add mushrooms and shallots and sauté for another three minutes. Add bacon and continue to cook until mushrooms and shallots have browned and softened. Sprinkle over thyme and bay leaves and stir through. Add cooked livers back in.
- Pour over brandy and simmer for a minute or so, until most of the liquid is evaporated. Remove pan from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
- Place liver mixture into a food processor or blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Pour in cream slowly as it blends. Taste and season with salt. Run pâté through a sieve to remove any large lumps. Add in green peppercorns and stir through gently to disperse.
- Divide pâté among smaller dishes (or one large dish) and smooth the surface. Cover and place into the fridge to chill.
Clarified butter topping
- Add butter to a pan and melt gently. Pour over a thin layer of butter on top of the pâté, leaving behind the milk solids. Arrange the fresh thyme leaves on top. Once the butter has set, wrap and refrigerate for 3-4 hours, or overnight before serving. Pâté will keep for up to five days in the fridge.
- Serve with toasted baguette slices or crackers, cornichons and pickled onions.