Faux Gras – Silky Smooth Chicken Liver Pate

Chicken Liver Pâté is one of those things that can divide a group of people, and most of the people in the euurgh! camp, probably haven’t even tasted it. They are just put off by the idea of chicken livers. Since this chicken liver is silky smooth, I’m sure that everyone would it if you didn’t tell them what it was.

I love smooth chicken liver pate, but since coming to the US, I haven’t found it readily available in normal supermarkets, hence I’ve had to make it myself and it is pretty quick and easy to do. Personally I prefer Foie Gras, but since it is generally frowned upon, it is even harder to find, but good home-made ‘faux gras’, i.e. chicken liver pate, with lashings of butter is nearly as good.

Though many chefs will tell you that chicken livers should be just cooked so that they are still pink in the middle, there is a  high risk of food poisoning due to campylobacter, however you don’t want to over cook them. Frying the livers in a medium high skillet for about 5 minutes should be enough, but if you want to be sure, just cut one in half to check that it isn’t still pink.

Chicken Liver Pate Recipe

Total time: 30 mins
Ingredients

  • 1 lb (450g) of chicken livers
  • 2 or 3 medium shallots, chopped finely
  • 1 clove of garlic, chopped finely
  • 6oz of butter
  • 1 tbsp of brandy
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

    1. Drain and then thoroughly clean the chicken livers. Remove and discard any green-ish or dis-coloured bits, excess fat and any sinews.

      Cleaned Chicken Livers

      Cleaned Chicken Livers

    2. Heat a little oil in a large skillet and gently fry the chicken livers. Once they are brown, then turn them over and cook the other side. It should take about 4 or 5 minutes.

      Sauteing the chicken livers

      Sauteing the chicken livers

    3. Remove the chicken livers and add them to the food process bowl. Reduce the heat a little in the pan, and then sauté the shallots and garlic until they are soft. Remove the shallots and garlic to the food processor.

      Sauteing the shallots and garlic

      Sauteing the shallots and garlic

    4. Add the brandy to the pan to de-glaze it, being sure to scrape any bits from the bottom. Add the reduced brandy to the food processor.

      De-glazing the pan

      De-glazing the pan

    5. Add 4oz of softened butter to the food processor. Process all the ingredients until a silky, smooth consistency is achieved. Optionally you could pass the pate through a sieve, but it isn’t strictly necessary.

      All the pate ingredients in the food processor

      All the pate ingredients in the food processor

    6. Spoon the pate into suitable dishes or ramekins, and smooth the top. Allow the pate to cool. Optionally for decoration you can lay some dried herbs on to the top of the pate.

      Chicken Liver Pate in Ramekins

      Chicken Liver Pate in Ramekins

    7. Clarify some butter, i.e. melt 2oz of butter, and spoon off the milk solids. Pour the melted butter over the pate and place into the refrigerator.

      Chicken Liver Pate sealed in butter

      Chicken Liver Pate sealed in butter

    8. Allow the pate and butter to cool for a couple of hours and then enjoy thickly spread on toasted bread. The pate should keep for 4 or 5 days if you manage to keep your hands off it.

      Chicken Liver Pate on toasted bread

      Chicken Liver Pate on toasted bread

Essential Kitchen Supplies

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