My creamy rich chicken liver pâté is a delicious appetizer that is deceptively easy but will wow your family and friends.
Ok, so I understand chicken liver or liver in general may not be everyone’s cup of tea but trust me this is a delicious dish! I have made this recipe for years, in fact I made it in 3 restaurants. It was a huge seller when I was the chef at Third & Vine in Jersey City, NJ. It is a velvety smooth spreadable pâté with an amazing flavor that, I for one, cannot get enough of.
I prefer to use a high power blender for this to make I super smooth. If you have a normal blender you may just need to puree it a little longer than 5 minutes. You can also puree it in a food processor although if you do I would suggest you pass it through a mesh strainer just to be sure it isn’t grainy.
You can make this a few days ahead of time, it keeps well in the refrigerator. Just make sure it is covered tightly. If your vessel doesn’t have a tight fitting lid place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface so it doesn’t dry out. If it does oxidize a little you can just scrape that off or stir it back in. You can also freeze the pâté for up to a month. If you do freeze it make sure it is very tightly wrapped or covered to keep any air out. It may also change the texture a little but if you stir it well after it is thawed it will come back to about the same texture as it was when it was made. Just thaw it slowly in the fridge overnight.
You can see my YouTube video on how to make it here.
Chicken Liver Pâté
Equipment
- 1 non stick sauté pan
- 1 stainless steel sauté pan with lid
- blender or food processor
- rubber spatula
- slotted spoon
- ceramic crock or mason jar for serving
Ingredients
For the pâté
- 1 pound chicken livers fresh or frozen
- 7-9 cloves fresh garlic peeled and crushed
- 3 tbsp capers drained
- 5-6 anchovy fillets
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 6 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 2-3 tbsp whiskey, bourbon, or cognac
- 1/3 cup heavy cream plus more as needed
- kosher salt and cracked black pepper to taste
For the balsamic onions
- 2 medium yellow oninos or other sweet onion
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 2-3 tbsp granulated sugar
- cracked black pepper to taste
Instructions
For the pâté
- Check the chicken livers and if there are any large pieces of fat or connective tissue remove that. Place them in a mesh strainer and rinse well – set aside in the strainer to drain while you do the next 4 steps.
- Place a 9-10 inch (or larger) non stick sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter and allow it to melt.
- Add in the crushed garlic, capers, and anchovies as well as a little salt and pepper.
- Sauté until the garlic is softened and the anchovy filets kind of melt into the butter and olive oil – about 5-6 minutes.
- Add the chicken livers and cook for 1-2 minutes to brown lightly.
- Add the white wine and cook for another minute or two.
- Add the whiskey and cook for 5-6 more minutes.
- Remove the chicken livers with a slotted spoon and place them in a blender or food processor.
- Reduce the remaining liquid in the pan to about 1/4 cup then add it to the blender or food processor with the livers.
- Add the remaining butter and the heavy cream to the blender/food processor and puree until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Add more cream as needed. This will take about 5 minutes or so.
- Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Pour the pureed mixture into serving vessels and refrigerate to cool at least 3-4 hours or over night.
For the balsamic onions
- Cut the onions in half and slice very thin on a mandolin or with a very sharp knife.
- Put a little olive oil in the bottom of a stainless steel sauté pan and using a brush or paper towel just coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add the sliced onions, salt, and a little black pepper and stir. Cover the pan and cook on medium low heat allowing the onions to sweat until soft. Stirring occasionally so they don't stick. You don't want to get any color on them.
- Once the onions are soft about 7-10 minutes add in the balsamic and some of the sugar.
- Allow that to cook and reduce. Taste to see how sweet they are and add more sugar as needed. They should have a decent amount of sweetness balance with tanginess from the vinegar.
- When they onions have a jammy texture and almost all the liquid is evaporated remove them and allow them to cool – refrigerate if you like.
- Once the pâté and onions are cool plate them with some grilled or toasted bread, crackers, vegetables, or whatever you like. Garnish the top of the pâté with chopped chives or other fresh herbs like thyme. ENJOY!
