Wow, a whole container of chicken livers lurked in my fridge following my cornbread sage stuffing adventure, and what to do with livers besides throw them away or turn them to rubber with a side of onions? Pate is the natural (and only) answer. This recipe is a variation on this classic from Gourmet in November of 2003.
It was not pretty to "trim" livers that have been floating in bloody brine, the little snack sure isn't photogenic, and do we even need to talk about how non-healthful it is with all that butter...so what is the redeeming quality? I am thankful that is has one - a big one - the taste. This is delicious and sure to be a plate-clearer at any party you host or attend.
Sherry Chicken Liver Pate:
(serves 8-10 as an appetizer)
1 lb chicken livers, trimmed
1 medium onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1.5 sticks of butter
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped (can use dried)
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (can use dried)
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (can use dried)
1/4 cup sherry
1 tsp ground allspice
1 tsp salt and fresh ground black pepper (or to taste)
Directions:
Saute chicken livers, onions and garlic in 1 stick butter. Add herbs and spices, saute until livers are cooked but still pink inside, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, add sherry and stir to incorporate.
Puree all ingredients in a food processor.
Before spreading into dishes, place an herb down in the bottom of the dish to enhance presentation when you invert - I also highly recommend greasing your dishes, or line them in plastic wrap so you don't make yourself crazy when serving them.
Meanwhile, melt remaining half stick of butter, skim off milk solids. Pour clarified butter over pate to form a seal. Chill, uncovered for about 2 hours, then either serve or cover/chill and serve within 2 weeks, or freeze immediately for later service.
3 comments:
Hey, there's a lot you can do with liver. I personally love chicken livers, your pate sounds yummy. Sometimes I season and broil the livers in the oven. Then I fry up a little bacon and saute some onions in the bacon fat. And I add the broiled livers back to that and a little bit of white wine and soy sauce and a teaspoon of sugar and eat it on rice. But I guess you have to be a liver lover for that.
Oh my god, there's so much helpful info here!
Thanks for the recipe! I was looking for one that used sherry because that's all I have on hand.
Your idea that butter is unhealthy is very outdated. Surely you've seen at least a little of the evidence by now...? For an amusing overview, watch "Fat Head" free on Hulu. Best wishes!
Post a Comment