Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté Recipes

BOURBON CHICKEN LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook the onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked on the outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes.
• Stir in the bourbon and remove from the heat. Purée the mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer the pâté to a 2 1/2-cup crock and smooth the top.
• Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove the pan from the heat and let the butter stand 3 minutes. If using an herb garnish, put a sprig on top of the pâté. Skim the froth from the butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over the pâté to cover its surface, leaving the milky solids in bottom of pan.
• Chill the pâté until the butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.
• DO AHEAD
• The PÂTÉ can be chilled up to 2 weeks. Once butter seal has been broken, pâté keeps for up to 1 week chilled, its surface covered with plastic wrap.

CHICKEN-LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• Put a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, and sauté them until translucent, being careful not to allow them to brown. Add the livers, thyme and Madeira or port, and bring the heat to high. Cook, occasionally stirring the livers around in the pan with a spoon, until the wine has reduced and the livers are lightly browned but still very soft and pink on the inside, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the stove, and put its contents into a blender or food processor, along with the cream and the remaining butter. Purée until smooth, adding a little more cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt if necessary.
• Pack the pâté into a glass jar or bowl, then smooth the top with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about two hours or up to five days. Serve with bacon-onion jam and copious amounts of toast.

CREAMY CHICKEN LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, combine peppercorns, allspice, clove and coriander seeds; grind until fine and set aside.
• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; when foam subsides, add onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add livers to pan and sprinkle with salt; cook livers on one side until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes, then flip them and cook the other side. Be sure to keep heat relatively high so that the outside of livers sears and inside stays pink.
• Put onion, livers and their buttery juices into a food processor or blender with remaining butter, the cream, spices and brandy. Purée mixture until it is smooth; taste and adjust seasoning.
• Put pâté in a terrine or bowl, smooth top and put in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or until fully set. Serve pâté with bread or crackers.