Chicken Liver Parfait (Pâté)
Chicken Liver Parfait (or Pâté) with brandy is an elegant yet fuss-free dinner party starter and can be made up to three days in advance.
Servings: 6 portions
Calories: 264kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
- 18 oz chicken liver (500 grams)
- 6 tablespoon unsalted butter (at room temperature)
- 1 shallot (medium size, chopped)
- 1 clove garlic (finely chopped)
- 2 sprigs thyme (only the leaves)
- 2 tablespoon capers
- ¼ cup brandy
- ¼ cup heavy cream (double cream)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Trim the fat and the stringy sinews of the chicken livers and pat dry.
- Put 2 tbsps of the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add shallots and cook for a few minutes until soft and brown.
- Add chicken livers and cook for a few minutes until they brown the outside but are still pink inside.
- Add the garlic, thyme, capers, and seasoning, and cook for another minute.
- Add the brandy carefully as it can flame up, especially when using a gas cooker.
- Cook the brandy until it has a syrup consistency and remove the pan from the heat, let it cool down for 10 minutes.
- Put them in a food processor when cooled down and blitz for a few seconds to combine.
- Add the remaining soft butter and heavy cream, and blitz for a few minutes until smooth.
- Spoon the pâté mixture in ramekins or in a terrine dish lined up with cling film.
- Let the pâté set in the fridge for a few hours, ideally overnight.
Notes
- Trim the fat and stringy sinews of the livers - Although it’s a bit fiddly task, this step is necessary to achieve a smooth pâté and it totally worth the effort.
- Use high heat to cook the chicken livers - We want quick browning of the chicken livers on the outside while still pink inside, without overcooking them. The main reason to have grainy pate is overcooked chicken livers.
- Use soft butter - When blitzing the pâté mixture in the blender, make sure the butter is soft but not melted.
- Serve your chicken liver parfait - pâté at room temperature - This smooth and delicious pâté tastes much better at room temperature and it is much easier to spread it on your bread.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. It would keep even longer - up to a week- if you cover the top of the pate with some melted butter.
- Brandy is very flammable, especially when cooking on a gas hob so take extra care when glazing the pan.
Nutrition
Calories: 264kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 19g | Saturated Fat: 11g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 335mg | Sodium: 527mg | Potassium: 230mg | Fiber: 0.3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 9938IU | Vitamin C: 16mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 8mg