Dijon Chicken Liver Pate Recipes

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.

BOURBON CHICKEN LIVER PâTé

Steps:

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

CHICKEN LIVER MOUSSE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, combine the water, onion, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and garlic. Bring to a boil; add chicken livers. Cook, uncovered, for 3-5 minutes or until a thermometer reads 160°, stirring frequently. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprigs; drain., Transfer liver mixture to a food processor; add the brandy, salt and pepper. Cover and process until livers are coarsely chopped. Gradually add butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, processing after each addition until smooth. Serve with crackers.

CHICKEN LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp of the butter in a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the chicken livers and fry for 2 mins each side.
• Stir the crushed garlic, some of the thyme and Madeira into the pan with the livers. Fry for 2 mins, letting the Madeira simmer. Transfer the mixture to a food processor, reserve 200g of the butter and add the rest to the processor. Blend everything to a smooth paste. Season to taste, then spoon into 4 x 70ml clip-top jars.
• Melt the reserved butter in a medium frying pan and add the sliced garlic. Turn the garlic in the butter until slightly golden. Pour into the 4 jars of pâté, ensuring a few slices of garlic and the remaining thyme leaves go in each jar, and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, or until set. Can be made up to 2 days in advance.
• Before serving, toast the brioche, then cut into triangular quarters for serving. Stir the diced apple through the chutney. Serve the pâté on small wooden boards with the toasted brioche, cornichons and chutney.