Chicken Liver & Port Reduction Pâté

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Elevating Humbleness ...

Maybe I’m snooty or snobbish, but there’s an undisputable and hard to describe ‘elevatedness’ to a well prepared (and balanced), unctuous pâté. It vividly reminds me of bygone days when silver service, glittering Bohemia crystal, elegant manners and stiffly starched, witty conversation were the norm instead of the unexpected.

Granted, many baleen whales had to die for the multitudeous corsets and some ladies creaked like fully laden tea clippers in a brisk sou’ south-westerly, yet all was gay and bright in a simpler – maybe naively innocent – earlier era. Yet liver pâté, whether chicken or beef, is still a sign of elegant refinement in this modern age. A lone survivor from the days of foie gras, rabbit terrines, poached eggs in aspic and wonderfully clear consommé’s.

Chicken livers are simple and cheap, yet – with a modicum of effort – easily transform into elegant, high luxury products. Reduced port wine adds a prominent fruitiness to mild chicken liver boldly supported by caramelised onion and a herb or two. Sure to wow the connoisseurs at any dinner party or soiree.

Serve the pâté with caramelised onion jam, tangy cranberry jelly or kumquat preserves. Pointedly ignore any requests for fruit chutney or ketchup. Shoot anyone who asks for pickles.

CHICKEN LIVER & PORT REDUCTION PÂTÉ

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Recipe yields: ± 600 ml

Preparation time: ± 60 minutes

Cooling time: 2 hours

Difficulty level: Easy!

Special Equipment Required:

1 x Spiral wire whisk

1 x Food processor, medium size

Ingredients:

Medium onion, diced into small cubes	1
Sunflower oil	15ml
White sugar	15ml
Fresh garlic, chopped	5ml
Dried rosemary	2.5ml
Dried thyme	2.5ml
Fresh chicken livers, washed & cleaned	500g
Sunflower oil	15ml
Port wine	200ml
Allspice berries, crushed with a knife blade	6
Large bay leaves	3 – 5
Butter, cubed and at room temperature	50g
Fresh garlic, chopped	5ml
Salt	5ml
Freshly ground black pepper	1.2ml

Method:

1.      Sauté the onions, thyme and rosemary with the oil over medium heat until soft and translucent. Add the sugar and garlic. Sauté, with frequent stirring, until the onions are nicely browned, ± 20 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside to cool to room temperature.

2.      Add the second portion of oil to the same pan and sauté the chicken livers (in two batches if necessary) until cooked, but still pinkish on the inside. Transfer to a medium, metallic bowl and refrigerate until cool, but not cold.

3.      Add the port, cracked allspice and bay leaves to the same pan and reduce the port by half over medium heat. Use the spiral wire whisk to scrape the pan thoroughly to lift any stuck or caramelised residues. Sieve the remaining liquid through a fine sieve and cool to room temperature.

4.      Add the cool liver, browned onions, second portion of garlic, salt and freshly ground black pepper to the food processor bowl. Process briefly until roughly chopped and add the port reduction. Process together while frequently adding butter cubes. Continue processing until a desired consistency is achieved. Regularly scrape down the sides of the processor’s bowl.

5.      Taste and adjust the seasoning with extra salt and black pepper, if needed.

6.     Transfer the puree to ramekins, cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for two hours. Melt sufficient butter (depending on the surface area to be covered) in a small sauce pan over low heat until just molten. Remove from the heat and allow the solids to settle for 2 – 3 minutes. Carefully cover the surface of the pate with a ± 5mm layer of molten butter. Refrigerate until the butter is set – ± 30 minutes.

7.      Serve with the same port wine used for this recipe, medium cream sherry or a well aged, chilled, noble late harvest wine.

Comments:

¨    The pâté’s consistency depends on the quantity of butter for ‘setting’ into soft, medium or hard. This recipe prepares a medium soft pâté that will still spread easily when cold, but may ‘wilt’ at high ambient serving temperatures. Either add 50% more butter to the pâté if high temperatures are expected on the day of use, or only remove the pâté from the refrigerator just before serving.

¨    Please use good quality butter for the pâté in stead of margarine. Most “easy spread” margarines contain a high level of moisture that will quite probably interfere with the setting of the cooling pâté, resulting in a disappointing product. Adding too much spread will also skew the pâté’s flavour profile and suppress the rich, fruity background of the port reduction.

¨    If in a bind, substitute full fat margarine for butter. Use the most expensive brand you can find. Cheaper brands contain hydrogenated vegetable fats with higher softening points, leading to the roof of the diner’s mouth feeling as if it’s been coated in grease. I find that disgusting.

¨    The final texture of the pâté depends on how long the liver puree was processed. Increase the processing time if a very smooth, fine pâté is desired. Allow the machine to rest regularly for ± 30 seconds to prevent the motor from burning out.

© RS Young, 2017

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Note:

Post updated on 2024.02.29 to include:

1. The updated Recipe for downloading as a PDF file, and

2. Recipe Title and Print Recipe, Recipe Index and Facebook & Pinterest follow links.