Chicken Liver Pate
 

"Pennyaline" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/17/2011 10:47 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>> Chicken Liver Pate. A Sqwertz original. Cheap and Easy ($2 or less).
>>
>> Look for livers that are pale brown rather than rosy pink/red. Brine
>> 1 pound livers in 12oz apple juice, 1 TB kosher salt, and 1 TB
>> Worcestershire sauce for 3-4 hours. This help makes them creamy
>> smooth.
>>
>> Drain and simmer livers with 1 small onion chopped roughly, a large
>> clove of smashed garlic, and 1 tsp thyme until livers just barely lose
>> their pink inside and are firm (about 5 minutes).
>>
>> Drain liquid and transfer all solids to a food processor. Grind in
>> some pepper on top. Add 1 stick of room temperature butter(*) and
>> pulverize until smooth. Add salt to taste, spin a little more, and
>> chill for 4 hours. Good on Triscuits (Sun-Dried Tomato or Rosemary)
>> and Club crackers.
>>
>> (*)Jaque Pepin says to use 3 sticks of butter per 1 pound of livers.
>
> I have found that the only thing that makes chicken livers "creamy smooth"
> is not overcooking them. There is no benefit to simmering chicken livers
> with onion and garlic and thyme for five minutes, as that isn't enough
> time to soften and develop the flavors or the onion and garlic, and you
> lose all of the thyme to the water. It would be better to saute those
> before cooking the livers, and hold them to the side until you're ready to
> take it all to the food processor.
>
> Even a food processor can't make overcooked livers "creamy smooth" no
> matter how hard you try or how much fat you add, but chicken livers that
> are cooked through and still pink in the center are moist and smooth as
> silk without mechanical assistance. I also don't bother brining chicken
> livers for pate. I add the seasoning later.
>
>
I agree with you, Pennyaline. Onions must be sauteed before they go into a
pate, and the onion should not be simmered. The onion flavor will be lost. I
can't believe Jacques Pepin wrote that. As well the liver should be cooked
rare.

If you can get turkey livers, the turkey liver is much more delicate and
subtle in flavor than chicken liver. It would be interesting to try it in a
pate. I always put turkey liver in my turkey stuffing, along with dried
porcini mushrooms.