Chicken Liver Pâté
Total Time
50 minutes, plus chilling time
Rating
4.7 out of 5 stars
(120)
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups
- A lot of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 to 5 medium-large yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 pound fresh chicken livers, drained
- 1/4 cup dry madeira, marsala, or sherry
- 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
- 1/2 cup rendered chicken fat (schmaltz) or vegetable oil
- Matzo crackers, to serve
- Fixings of your choice: Pickled and/or fried shallots, chopped chives, hard-boiled eggs, chopped cornichon or other pickles
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Preparation
Step 1
Heat a large frying pan with a lid to medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of schmaltz. Once heated, add the onions and toss them in the fat to evenly coat, cooking them for one minute.
Step 2
Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low, and let the onions steep for 15 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.
Step 3
Uncover the pan, raise the heat to medium, and stir in salt. Cook onions for another 15 minutes until browned at the edges.
Step 4
Increase heat to medium-high and cook onions until browned at the edges and delicious.
Step 5
Add madeira and vinegar, scrape up any stuck onion bits, and cook until liquids disappear. Transfer onions to a large bowl and set aside.
Step 6
Add 3 more tablespoons of schmaltz to the empty pan and heat over medium-high. Add the livers in one layer, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes until browned underneath. Flip, season again, and brown the second side for about 2 minutes.
Step 7
Add livers to the bowl with onions, pour the last 1 to 2 tablespoons of schmaltz over, and let everything cool completely. Chill in the fridge overnight for best results.
Step 8
In a food processor, blend the liver and onions until smooth and whipped. Taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if needed.
Step 9
Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with reserved onions or a drizzle of oil and herbs.
Step 10
Serve with crackers and garnishes of your choice.
Step 11
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Chef's notes
Use the yellow onions with brown skins for a more robust flavor.
Ensure the livers are cooked on the rare side of medium to prevent dryness.
Blending the pate when it's cold results in a smoother texture.
