Chicken Liver Pâté Recipe

Name: Chicken Liver Pâté
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 16
Ingredients: 6 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided; 1/3 cup minced shallot; 1 pound chicken livers; Salt; 1 clove garlic, minced; 2 Tbsp capers; 1 teaspoon dried thyme; 1 teaspoon anchovy paste (optional); 1/4 cup brandy; 1/4 cup cream

Chicken liver pâté—looks atrocious, tastes great!

In fact, this is one of those instances where you pity the fool who refuses to eat something because it doesn't look appetizing. And then you're secretly happy because that means there's more for you.

Chicken liver pâté is perfect for spreading over crackers or toasted thin baguette slices. And unlike so many of the pâtés we make that require a weighted terrine in a water bath, this one is easy to make and takes hardly any time.

How to Cook Chicken Livers

You just trim the chicken livers of their connective tissue, sauté them in butter with shallots, garlic, and capers, add a little brandy, and then purée with cream and a little more butter. It's best served chilled, and because of its richness, a little goes a long way.

How Our Readers Make This Recipe Their Own

Chris: "I made this recipe 2 weeks ago and it is amazing, I skipped the Brandy and used a couple of anchovy fillets, was wonderful."
Mary: "Made a batch for Christmas gifts and everyone loved it. I didn't have thyme so substitutes rosemary instead. I also put whole peppercorns and rosemary in the clarified butter that I melted for the top."
Ramon: "This pate recipe is awesome! I've made it 4 times now and it gets better and better each time. My first time making it I used sherry instead of brandy. It came out a little sweeter than the ones with brandy."
Shupi: "I tried it and substituted the brandy with apple cider vinegar. The pate came out nice."
Gaye: "I did however not cook the capers I blended them in whole, still tasted very good."

How Long Can You Store Chicken Liver Pâté?

Refrigerator: Refrigerate chicken liver pâté tightly covered for up to 1 week. To refrigerate it longer than 1 week but no longer than 1 month, pour a little melted lard or clarified butter on top to seal. Each time you dip into the pâté, you will need to reseal the top to preserve it.

Freezer: Tightly wrap leftover pâté in plastic wrap and then place it in a layer of foil, a freezer-safe zipper bag, or an airtight freezer-safe container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw the pâté overnight in the refrigerator.

Retro Party Appetizers

Chicken Liver Pâté

Prep Time 15 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 30 mins

Servings 16 servings

If you want, you can soak the chicken livers in milk for an hour or so before proceeding with the recipe. Soaking the livers in milk will take a bit of the edge off the liver and make them taste milder. This recipe makes a lot. You can easily halve (or double).

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6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1/3 cup minced shallot
1 pound chicken livers
Kosher salt
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon anchovy paste, optional
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup cream

Food processor

Trim the connective tissue and fat:

Trim any fat or connective tissue from the livers and discard.

Elise Bauer

Elise Bauer
Brown the butter:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large sauté pan on medium heat and let the butter brown, about 3 to 5 minutes. Do not let it burn.

How to Make Brown Butter
READ MORE:
Sauté the shallots and livers:

Add the shallots and sauté for 1 minute. Add the livers. Be sure to space them well in the pan so they can brown more easily. Sprinkle salt over the livers. Flip the livers when one side browns, about 2 minutes.

Elise Bauer
Add the capers, thyme, garlic, and anchovy paste:

Once the livers have browned, add the capers, thyme, garlic, and anchovy paste if using, and sauté another minute.
Deglaze the pan with brandy:

Take the pan off the heat and add the brandy. (Be careful when you return it to the heat, as it could flame up, especially if you are using a gas range. If it does, cover the pan for a moment.) Increase the heat to high and let the brandy boil and reduce to the consistency of syrup, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off heat and allow the mixture to cool.

Elise Bauer
Purée in a food processor:

Put the mixture into a food processor or blender and pulse a few times to combine. Add the remaining butter and the cream and purée. The mixture will look a little loose, but it will firm up in the fridge.
Pack into ramekins and chill:

Pack the pâté into ramekins or a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least an hour before using.

The pâté will last a week or so in the fridge. If you want to preserve it for up to a month, pour a little melted lard or clarified butter on top to seal. Each time you dip into the pâté, you will need to reseal the top to preserve it.

Serve spread on crackers or baguette slices.

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Nutrition Facts (per serving)
108	Calories
8g	Fat
1g	Carbs
7g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories	108
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 8g	10%
Saturated Fat 4g	21%
Cholesterol 175mg	58%
Sodium 85mg	4%
Total Carbohydrate 1g	0%
Dietary Fiber 0g	1%
Total Sugars 0g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 8mg	42%
Calcium 10mg	1%
Iron 3mg	19%
Potassium 92mg	2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.