Creamy Chicken Liver Pâté

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make creamy chicken liver pâté? Gather your ingredients. Fresh liver is best; if yours is frozen, thaw it ahead of time — the gentlest way is to move it from the freezer to the bottom shelf of the fridge. Pick the fat content of the cream to your taste, keeping in mind it changes the calorie count; I used light cream (about 10%). Use good-quality real butter, with no vegetable-oil additives.

2. Step 2:

   

   Wash and peel the onions and cut them into quarter-rings. It's worth using plenty of onion here — it brings flavor to the fairly mild chicken liver. But if you're not a fan, use just one.

3. Step 3:

   

   Go light on the carrot, though — just half of one — since the pâté doesn't need too much sweetness. Wash and peel the carrot and grate it on the coarse side of a box grater.

4. Step 4:

   

   Cut the liver into medium pieces, trimming off any excess fat and traces of bile — be especially careful with the bile, since it will make the dish taste bitter. I usually don't rinse chicken liver because I trust my source, but you can rinse it under running water and then dry it well with paper towels.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the vegetable oil and 20 grams of the butter — the oil-and-butter mix won't burn as easily, since the two have different smoke points. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes.

6. Step 6:

   

   Add the carrot next. Lower the heat, cover the pan, and let the vegetables cook another 5 minutes or so — you want them nearly done, which makes for a more delicate pâté.

7. Step 7:

   

   Now add the liver to the pan. Bring the heat back up to medium and fry the liver, stirring, until it changes color, about 5 minutes. Liver is very delicate — the less you cook it, the more tender the pâté.

8. Step 8:

   

   Pour in the cream and add salt, pepper, and nutmeg — nutmeg is especially good with liver. Stir, lower the heat, cover, and simmer everything together for 8–10 minutes. Then turn off the heat and let it cool a little.

9. Step 9:

   

   Transfer the liver and its sauce to a suitable container and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. A regular blender or food processor works too. As you blend, you can add the remaining 30 grams of butter. Taste and adjust the salt and spices if needed.

10. Step 10:

    

    I like to seal the finished pâté with a butter layer. Spoon the pâté into small jars, melt some butter however is easiest, and pour a thin layer right over the top — this helps it keep longer. Chill the pâté in the fridge; it'll firm up and spread more easily on bread.

11. Step 11:

    

    Serve the pâté with pan-toasted bread, or use it to fill profiteroles and tartlets. Enjoy!