I love pate, preferably duck liver, but I also like chicken liver pate. There is a party Saturday and I wanted to practice. This recipe is adapted from Food Network.
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh chicken livers, cleaned
1 cup milk
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbs capers drained
2 bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried thyme or 1 tsp fresh chopped
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
Directions:
Soak the livers in milk for 2 hours, drain well.
Over medium high heat in a heavy skillet, melt half the butter. Add the onions and cook stirring about 3 minutes.
Add the garlic, cook for 30 seconds.
Add chicken livers, the capers, bayleaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook until livers are browned on outside, but still pink on inside. (Funny instructions, how are you supposed to tell without cutting them open?) Anyway that's about 5 minutes.
Add the cognac and cook until most of the liquid is gone and the livers are tender.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly, throw away the bay leaves.
Puree the the liver mixture in a food processor, add the remaining butter and pulse to blend. It's not very pretty.
Check seasonings and pack into ramekins, cover in plastic and refrigerate 5-6 hours.
Serve with small toast rounds, good mustard, cornichons, and capers. It is delicious liver spread. I'll make this for sure for the party!
Until next time, Eat Well & Keep Digging!
The Gastronomic Gardener
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I have a suggestion to "pretty-up" the pate for the party: put a layer of melted butter on the top of the (cooled) finished article, and arrange a few fresh bay leaves in it, and then re-refrigerate. This will make a nice-looking yellow top layer - and it also helps to keep the pate fresh. I find the pate can look very unappetisingly grey unless you do something to smarten it up. :)
ReplyDeleteMark, yes of course, as this was a test run, I didn't feel the need. I'll certainly tart them up for the party.
ReplyDelete