Christmas chicken liver Pate

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chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

I guess this belongs here although we could easily make a meal of pate, always make a batch for Christmas, about a kilo. I've never understood why those tiny pots in the stores are so damned expensive :)

Chicken livers can sometimes be tricky to find, Coles are carrying them again but I've always found that chicken places like Lenards have them frozen if you ask. It doesn't matter that they are frozen, we keep some in the freezer all year around in case the mood strikes to make some and we also make a mean pasta fegato with them sometimes.

For this recipe you need 500gms of livers which is the common pack size.

The thawed livers need to soak in salted water for an hour to draw the blood out then drain.

Meanwhile whizz up about 250gms of bacon, rind and all, it makes no difference, about 150gms of mushrooms and a large brown onion. You can combine the onion and bacon, keep the mushrooms separate.

Heat about 150gms of butter in a frypan and cook the onion and bacon gently with a good sprinkle of thyme, a decent grate of black pepper and a bayleaf. Once tender but not browned add the drained livers and stir together using a wooden spoon to break up the livers as they cook. As soon as they are bloodless they are done, Put that mixture in a blender.

In the same frypan put a good splash of brandy, port and sherry, half a cup of cream, black pepper, salt and the mushrooms. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half then add to the blender.

Blend thoroughly until a nice creamy consistency. Traditionally it should then be pushed through a sieve but with the powerful blenders we have it just isn't necessary.

Place in whatever pots you prefer, I just use plastic disposable beer glasses, and refrigerate until firm.

Melt some butter, skim off the white sediment that rises to the top then pour over the pots of pate and refrigerate until set. You can decorate the tops with a bayleaf or some slices of stuffed olives, whatever you fancy, before the butter sets.

Keep refrigerated and enjoy on toast, biscuits, make a Wellington, whatever :)

The amounts of pepper and brandy can be increased to suit taste.

Nice and simple, utterly delicious.

We are having a very quiet Christmas this year with hardly any visitors, in other years I double the quantities and have pots on hand as gifts, hence the plastic glasses, everyone seems to want more :)

Cheers
Chargrilled
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:14 pm
Location: Perth, WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Chargrilled »

I'll be giving this a go :)
Thanks for the recipe
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

It's really very easy mate.

Coles down at Beldon had livers earlier in the week.

Cheers
Chargrilled
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:14 pm
Location: Perth, WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Chargrilled »

chrisg wrote::)

It's really very easy mate.

Coles down at Beldon had livers earlier in the week.

Cheers
I'll head down and have a look!
Fresh or frozen?
Cheers
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

Hey,

Fresh in the meat section at the back with chickens.

Cheers
Ciapek
Posts: 215
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:51 pm

Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Ciapek »

Excellent Chris !
Will be having a crack at this....right up my flavour alley !



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chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

It's a very old recipe, came from Women's Weekly originally I think, my family have been making it for decades. Highly variable of course, green pepper would be easy including putting some peppers in aspic in place of the butter top.

I can attest that it is very robust and excellent as the pate in a Wellington, assuming I can keep the hordes away long enough. One of my friends wives doesn't eat beef whereas he can't get enough of it. When they come for a meal I do a Beef Wellington for everyone else and a chicken beast one for her, they come back often :)

Cheers
Ciapek
Posts: 215
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2012 9:51 pm

Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Ciapek »

Lol..that's what I like about Xmas....the cooks bring out their Big Guns ! ...love it...!


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Chargrilled
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:14 pm
Location: Perth, WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Chargrilled »

chrisg wrote: The thawed livers need to soak in salted water for an hour to draw the blood out then drain.
What sort of ratio are you using?

Cheers
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

It's nothing exact mate, plenty of water to cover the livers and probably a tablespoon of salt.

I mentioned this to one of my family a few hours ago, they do like me, cover the livers with water, chuck in some salt. You are not going to over salt in an hour, it's just to clean them up.

Cheers

(Assuming you found some livers then? :) )
Chargrilled
Posts: 498
Joined: Wed Jan 12, 2011 11:14 pm
Location: Perth, WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Chargrilled »

Yep all made and in the fridge setting.
Used some home made bacon in there.
Tastes delicious!
Just making some bread now so I can pig out. Yum :)
chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

That could be interesting, I often just use bacon bits not labours of love :)

Glad it is working out :)

Cheers
Amfibius
Posts: 486
Joined: Sat Aug 13, 2011 4:14 am
Location: Camberwell, Melbourne

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by Amfibius »

Thanks for the recipe!

BTW you can easily find chicken liver in Asian butchers. There are quite a few in Northbridge.
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chrisg
Posts: 782
Joined: Mon Oct 28, 2013 7:21 pm
Location: Perth WA

Re: Christmas chicken liver Pate

Post by chrisg »

:)

Makes sense, I'd never thought to look there.

It's strange being up in the Northern suburbs the differences to SoR, have to go down to Woodvale for the nearest decent butcher that I've found so far.

Cheers
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