I have been making this pâté for more than 20 years. In the spring and summer, pickles are plenty to serve alongside—just make sure you have plenty of crusty bread slices or good crackers. In the fall, apple and pear slices are fun accompaniments, and in the winter I like to sprinkle pomegranate seeds on it as a bright garnish.
Ingredients
- ½ cup (1 stick) butter
- ¼ cup minced onion
- 1 small tart apple, such as a Granny Smith, peeled, cored and coarsely chopped
- 1 pound chicken livers, patted dry
- ½ cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
Melt 3 tablespoons butter in heavy skillet over medium heat. Add onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add apple and cook until soft, about 4 minutes depending on how big pieces are. Transfer mixture to food processor or blender.
Note: Don’t wash skillet after cooking onion-apple mix. Leftover bits add flavor.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet, add livers and cook until well browned, about 10 minutes. Add livers to onion mixture, followed by wine, and boil over high heat until reduced by half, which should take a few minutes. Scrape from bottom any browned bits in skillet and transfer pan contents into the onionapple mix. Add cream and purée until smooth. Let cool about 10 minutes, until warm.
Add remaining butter (which should be a little soft by now) 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring it into the liver mixture. After all butter is added, add lemon juice, cayenne and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Divide pâté into individual ramekins or smooth into an attractive serving dish. Refrigerate until well chilled. Pâté freezes well and keeps refrigerated about a week.
