I was fully prepared to dislike chicken liver pate when I was first introduced to it as a child by my mom. But the funny thing is I loved it and even now it is one of my favorite things to eat (in moderation of course) during the Winter months. It is delicious served with toasted baguette rounds and cornichons. I actually served it as if it was butter with toasted sourdough bread this past weekend and was reminded how easy it is to make. This recipe is adapted from one I found for Jacques Pepin with a few different touches of my own.
Ingredients
½ pound chicken livers, trimmed of fat
½ cup whole milk
½ small onion
1 garlic clove peeled and smashed with a knife
1 bay leaf
¼ tsp. dried thyme
Sea salt
½ cup water
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
4 tbsps. Truffle butter, at room temperature
2 tsps. cognac or brandy
Fresh ground pepper
Parsley for decoration on the top
Toasted baguette slices, crackers for serving
1. In a bowl, place the trimmed chicken livers and pour the whole milk over. Let them sit for about an hour in the fridge. When done, drain the milk.
2. In a saucepan, combine the chicken livers, onion, garlic, bay leaf, thyme and a ½ tsp of salt. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce the heat to low and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
3. Discard the bay leaf and 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 and truffle butter until incorporated. Add the cognac or brandy and season with salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Scoop the pate into ramekins Place plastic wrap over top pressing it into the top. Serve cold and decorate with parsley on top.
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