Country Style Chicken Liver Pate
August 26, 2013 • Appetizers,
Every time I buy a chicken, I carefully wrap up the tiny livers and freeze them, waiting to get enough to make pate. Why, you might ask? Well, for one thing, I hate wasting food. But also, you can’t beat a great homemade pate, and I figured my friends joining me on Lake Powell last week would enjoy this during one of our evening cocktail hours.
Pate is really simple to make. You can make it ultra smooth like the last version I made, or can make it chunky like this.
Some sort of sweet chutney or jam – I used a mixture of peach and raspberry jam – really goes nicely with the pate, as does a nice glass of something sparkling. The pate freezes well, and this recipe makes two loaves, each enough to serve 8-10 for a party.
- 1 pound thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound chicken livers, cleaned of connective membranes
- 10 tablespoons butter, diced
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- Line 2 small 3 x 5 inch loaf pans with plastic wrap, leaving enough over the sides to cover the pate once you've filled the pans.
- Cook bacon in a large skillet until crispy; drain off all but 2-3 tablespoons of the fat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring a bit, until the vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken livers and the butter, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the butter is all melted and the livers are cooked but slightly pink inside still, about 5 minutes. Transfer mixture to a food processor and add parsley; pulse a few times to achieve a chunky but consistent texture.
- Divide between the two loaf pans, pressing down to remove any air pockets as you press the mixture into the pans. Wrap well with the plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. May be frozen.