Chicken Liver Pate -- Jacques Pepin               

 tags (edit): Advance @Tried @Favorite @5 Star @Vogel Easy Food & Wine Magazine Hors dOeuvres Bread Appetizers  

 

This silky-smooth pate is inexpensive and simple to make. The chicken livers are briefly simmered in water with aromatics before they’re blended with butter in a food processor. If you have the opportunity to choose, shop for paler chicken livers; they tend to have a mellower, richer flavor than deep-red ones.

Ingredients

1/2 pound chicken livers well-trimmed
1/2 small onion thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove smashed and peeled
1 each bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
Kosher salt
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter softened (use less if you prefer)
2 teaspoons Cognac or Scotch whisky
Freshly ground pepper
Toasted baguette slices


 

Instructions
 In a medium saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the livers are barely pink inside, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes to steep and finish cooking. Do not overcook.

Discard the bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the livers, onion and garlic to a food processor; process until coarsely pureed. With the machine on, add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, until incorporated. Add the Cognac, season with salt and pepper and process until completely smooth. Scrape the pate into 2 or 3 large ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pate and refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled.

DO AHEAD: The finished pate can be covered with a thin layer of melted butter, then wrapped in plastic and refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 2 months.

This recipe published with BigOven, and can be imported instantly by BigOven users viewing this page. Download your free trial at www.bigoven.com.


Yields: 6 Servings
     Food & Wine magazine, March, 2007

 notes:  Recipe by Jacques Pepin. For more recipes by Jacques Pepin visit foodandwine.com/pepin

Cuisine:   French

Main Ingredient:   Chicken Liver