Liver Pate Recipe from The Art of Clabber Book: Nourishing and Tasty

Liver Pâté

Main Ingredients:

2 cups (14-18 oz) liver (cow or chicken)

1 1/4 cups (2 medium-sized)  onions, chopped

1/2 cup carrot (one medium-sized)  chopped

1/2 cup (3.5 oz) pork fat,

7 tablespoons (3.5 oz) butter, softened (not melted)

Liquids:

2 tablespoons cognac (port wine, Madeira, brandy)

2 tablespoons meat stock

2 cups of skim milk (for soaking)

Seasoning:

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

A pinch of nutmeg

Toppings for serving:

2 tablespoons cranberry sauce or jelly

2 tablespoons ghee butter or clarified butter

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooling time: 3-4 hours

Cooking Time: 40 minutes

TIP: Do not skip skim milk and alcohol steps!

The liver may have a strong odor, which stops many from enjoying this nutrient-dense food.

It can be so delicious if cooked right. 

Soaking liver (or any other organ meats) in skim milk and adding a little alcohol while cooking does a great job of eliminating this unwanted odor. In French cuisine, pâtés are considered one of the top gourmet dishes.

Note:  I usually use cow or chicken liver and it comes out delicious. You can experiment by trying this recipe with other types of liver or mixing them. Just keep in mind that some livers have stronger, more enhance taste. If you are just trying to add liver to your diet, start with chicken or other poultry livers. 

Instructions:

Prepare liver by cutting it into cubes 1x1 inch for cow liver or half for chicken liver.

Remove all thin film from the cow's liver. Videos on YouTube show how to prepare liver for cooking.

Soak cut liver in skim milk for at least 1 hour before cooking.

Cut pork fat into large cubes and put it in a medium-heat frying pan. Make sure it does not brown. Once it just starts melting, add chopped onions and carrots. Do not grate carrots. Chop in circles about 1/2 inch thick. Cook on slow heat until carrots are tender. Do not brown—just sauté.

Once the carrots are soft, change the heat to medium, drain the milk from the liver, remove excess milk, and add it to the frying pan.

The liver cooks fast. Add cognac or substitute. Do not skip this step.

Adding a little cognac to the liver while cooking enhances flavor, adds depth, tenderizes the meat, deglazes the pan, and reduces strong odor. Alcohol evaporates while cooking, leaving behind rich flavors. Add salt, pepper, muscat nut. Mix everything well.

Once you cut into the liver, it is ready as soon as there is no blood. Please do not overcook it; the liver becomes rubbery when overcooked.

Let everything cool for 3-4 hours. You can even move it to the refrigerator overnight.

Use a blender or food processor to puree the ingredients into a smooth, cohesive paste.

Adding stock and melted butter as you do it.

Put in a small, wide-mouth container that you will serve pate in.

Pour clarified butter on top to cover the pâté.

Once it hardens on top, add in a thin layer of cranberry jam or any other jelly-like jam.

Clarified butter and jam on top of pâté add delicious notes to pâté and serve as conservator. 

Chill for about one hour in the refrigerator before serving.

 Serve cold with some toasted bread as an appetizer

This recipe makes about 18 oz pate.

TIP: Since the preparation process is time-consuming, and pâté is usually served in small portions, I prepare the whole batch, leave some of it in the refrigerator for the family to eat, and freeze the rest.

Pâté can be frozen and served later. I usually freeze just pâté mass without clarified butter and jam. I add that on top as pâtée thaws before serving.