Easy Chicken Liver Pâté

Chicken liver pâté made with olive oil and lots of tasty seasonings is wonderfully rich and flavorful and surprisingly easy to make.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes

Rest time 2 hours

Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 275kcal

Author Vered DeLeeuw

Ingredients

1 lb. chicken livers
3 tablespoons olive oil divided
¼ cup brandy
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon allspice

Instructions

Use a sharp knife to remove the white connective tissue from the livers and pat them dry with paper towels.
Sprinkle the cleaned livers with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, and allspice.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the seasoned livers. Cook them, turning frequently, until browned on the outside and barely pink in the center, 5-7 minutes.*
Transfer the cooked livers to your food processor’s bowl.
Add the brandy to the skillet. Use it and a heat-resistant rubber spatula to scrape any bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Cook on high until it’s reduced to 3 tablespoons, about 1 minute. Turn the heat off. Use the spatula to transfer the skillet contents to the food processor.
Add the heavy cream and 2 more tablespoons of olive oil to the food processor. Cover and process on high until the mixture is smooth, light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, stopping once o scrape the sides and bottom with a spatula.
Divide the mixture evenly among four individual containers (such as small jars or ramekins). Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.

Video

Notes

*The CDC recommends cooking chicken livers to 165F, which is well-done.

Note that if added to a too-hot pan, chicken livers will splatter and even burst. So make sure to use medium heat and don't wait too long before adding the livers to the pan.

Variations: You can replace the onion powder with ¼ cup of minced shallots or onions, cooked with the livers. You can also replace the olive oil with butter.

Definitely don't try to eat the pâté as soon as it's ready! It's not good when it's still warm. It needs time to rest - at least 2 hours in the fridge. It's actually best to make it a day ahead and refrigerate it overnight. This helps firm up its texture and also ensures that all the tasty flavors are melded together. If refrigerating overnight, remove the pâté from the fridge 30 minutes before serving.

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