Chicken Liver Pate
Pate is often served with toasted baguette slices and cornichons, a sweet French pickle. An alternative would be some sort of jam or preserve.
Brian and I had a wonderful pate served with some jam or preserve. I do not remember what fruit it was, but it was served on the side I believe it was red in color, perhaps blackberry or currant. You can borrow a Martha Stewart move and spread a thick layer of raspberry jam on top of a pot of chicken liver mousse just before serving.
To freeze pate, fill ceramic ramekins with the pate, top them with melted butter and a bay leaf and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. It's worth dividing the pate into smaller dishes so you only need to have a small amount open at a time.
Also see Chicken Liver Pâté With Bourbon. and Cranberry Gelée
Chicken Liver Pate: Terrine de Foies de Volaille
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2003
In France, pate is often served with cornichons. Cornichons (pronounced "KOR-nee-shons") are small pickled gherkins, which are a variety of cucumber, and are traditionally served as a condiment with a number of classical French dishes like pâté. Cornichons have a tart, mildly sweet flavor, and they are used for both flavoring and as a garnish. Cornichons are frequently paired with capers.
1 pound fresh chicken livers, cleaned
1 cup milk
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 cup chopped yellow onions [or shallots]
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons green peppercorns, drained [omit?]
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish
French bread croutons or toast, accompaniment
French cornichons, optional accompaniment
In a bowl, soak the livers in the milk for 2 hours. Drain well.
In a large saute pan or skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken livers, 1 tablespoon of the peppercorns, the bay leaves, thyme, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until the livers are browned on the outside and still slightly pink on the inside, about 5 minutes. Add the Cognac and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and the livers are cooked through but still tender.
Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Discard the bay leaves.
In a food processor, puree the liver mixture. [Don't use a blender as it is hared to get out and clean.]Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter in pieces and pulse to blend. Fold in the remaining 1 tablespoon peppercorns and adjust the seasoning, to taste.
Pack the pate into 6 individual ramekins or small molds, about 4 ounces each. Cover with plastic and refrigerate until firm, at least 6 hours.
To serve, place the ramekins on individual plates. Garnish the tops with parsley and surround with croutons. Serve with cornichons on the side.
Chicken Liver Pâté
from Food and Wine, March 2007
Jacques Pépin's recipe for chicken liver pâté is silky-smooth, inexpensive, and simple to make — and perfect with a cocktail or glass of wine before a meal.
Chicken liver pâté freezes well; just let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight or for several hours before serving. If you're making it the day you want to serve it, be sure to give it several hours in the refrigerator to firm up first.
FMM: To me, this has way too much butter, although I have not tried the recipe.
1/2 pound chicken livers, well-trimmed
1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to season
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature [cut in 1/2, most recipes use half the amount of chicken livers]
2 teaspoons Cognac or Scotch whisky
Freshly ground black pepper
Toasted baguette slices, for serving
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.
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 pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins. Press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pâté and refrigerate until firm.
Serve chilled with toasted baguette slices.
6 to 8 servings
