Chicken Liver Pate

5 from 6 votes

Chicken Liver Pate recipe made with brandy, butter, and cream, blended until silky smooth. An elegant French starter you can make up to 3 days ahead.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Chilling Time4

Total Time4 20

Course: Appetizer, Snack

Cuisine: French

Diet: Gluten Free

Servings: portions

Calories: 264kcal

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.

Trim the fat and stringy sinews of the livers properly, and cut away any greenish patches, as they taste bitter. This is what makes the pate smooth.
Cook the livers fast on high heat, browned outside and still pink inside. Overcooked livers are the main reason for a grainy pate.
Make sure the butter is soft but not melted when it goes into the blender, and blitz for a few minutes for a silky texture.
For an even finer, restaurant-style parfait texture, push the blended mixture through a fine sieve before it sets.
The brandy can be replaced with port, sherry, whiskey, Grand Marnier, or red wine, or left out entirely.
Brandy is very flammable, especially on a gas hob, so take extra care when it goes into the pan.
Serve at room temperature. Take the pate out of the fridge 20 to 30 minutes before serving.
Make it up to 3 days ahead and keep it covered in the fridge, or up to a week if sealed under a layer of melted butter. It also freezes for up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge.