Chicken Liver Pâté

     

photo by Christopher Testani / food styling by Maggie Ruggiero /
Prop styling by Deborah Williams

from The New York Times Magazine

           submitted by Judy Gray

           serves 6 to 8

            

           8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes

           2 medium shallots, peeled and finely chopped

           1 pint fresh chicken livers, approximately 1 pound trimmed

           1 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped

           ⅓ cup Madeira or port

           3 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more as needed

           kosher salt to taste

Put a large, heavy sauté pan over medium heat, and melt 4 tablespoons of the butter until it begins to foam. Add the shallots, and sauté until translucent, being careful not to allow shallots to brown. Add the livers, thyme and Madeira or port, and bring the heat to high. Cook, occasionally stirring and turning the livers around in the pan with a spoon, until the wine has reduced and the livers are lightly browned but still very soft and pink on the inside, approximately 5 minutes. Don’t overcook.

Remove the pan from the stove, and put its contents into a blender or food processor, along with the cream and the remaining butter. Blend until smooth, but don’t over blend, adding a little more cream if necessary. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding salt if necessary.

Pack the pâté into a glass jar or bowl, then smooth the top with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm. About 2 hours or up to 5 days. Serve with bacon-onion jam and copious amount of toast.

This pâté is similar to the one my grandmother made, except she used a hand crank meat grinder (the food processor of the ‘20s) to mix all ingredients! Very tasty for all who love pâté, best eaten with jam of some kind.