By Mark Bittman
- Total Time
- 20 minutes, plus 3 hours' refrigeration
- Rating
- 5(302)
- Notes
- Read community notes
French pâté is in fact easier to make than my grandmother’s chopped liver, which called for rendering chicken fat. Here, you just soften onions in butter, cook the livers, cool, purée and refrigerate.
You don’t have to bother with soaking the livers in milk, a step found in many recipes. Season aggressively: you want to taste the pepper, the coriander, the brandy and even the allspice and clove.
Finally, cook the liver quickly, over pretty high heat. What you want is to brown the outside while keeping the inside pink. This, perhaps, is another major difference between pâté and chopped liver, in which the livers are almost always cooked to death.
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 10 to 15peppercorns
- 2allspice berries
- 1clove
- 4coriander seeds
- ½cup butter
- 1onion, chopped
- 1pound chicken livers
- Salt
- ⅓cup cream
- 1 to 2tablespoons brandy
- Bread or crackers for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
192 calories; 15 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 5 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 9 grams protein; 201 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
In a spice grinder or clean coffee grinder, combine peppercorns, allspice, clove and coriander seeds; grind until fine and set aside.
Step
2
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; when foam subsides, add onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add livers to pan and sprinkle with salt; cook livers on one side until they begin to brown, about 2 minutes, then flip them and cook the other side. Be sure to keep heat relatively high so that the outside of livers sears and inside stays pink.
Step
3
Put onion, livers and their buttery juices into a food processor or blender with remaining butter, the cream, spices and brandy. Purée mixture until it is smooth; taste and adjust seasoning.
Step
4
Put pâté in a terrine or bowl, smooth top and put in refrigerator for 2 to 3 hours or until fully set. Serve pâté with bread or crackers.
Ratings
5
out of 5
302
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Cooking Notes
Janet
In a pinch, you can put the spices in a small plastic bag and crush them with a rolling pin, bottle, or glass. Or pound the heck out of them with the smooth side of a meat mallet.
Neal
I would add about half again the amount of spices. While the finished pate was tasty, it was, at least for my palate, a little too close in taste, to a standard pureed chopped liver. The amount of brandy was enough. Would definitely make again. Thanks.
Grace Hinton
Delicious. I deglazed the pan with cognac so I wouldn't lose what my grandmother called "the jewels of the kitchen" at the bottom of the pan.
FrankW`
This is a favorite of mine and usual make it after gather a pound or so of chicken livers for my regular Sunday roast chicken. I like the additional flavor i get when I toast the peppercorns and remaining spice before I grind them. Thanks Mark.
Clint Brewer
Easiest recipe ever. Ingredients and spices are inexpensive, and the result is something very decadent. I used already powdered/crushed spices rather than the whole corns/berries and it came out really well. When the recipe says "season aggressively" do so. It makes all the difference. In this mix the cloves tend to lead, so be gentle with them if you add more after the puree step.
Andy
Use half the peppercorns, double all other spices.
Weston
Taste your spice mixture before mixing with the livers and adjust for what you like. I also used ground spices since I don't have a grinder or mortar at home.
Pau
For 1 pound of chicken livers, you need much more spices than 4 coriander seeds, 2 allspice and 1 clove. Lets say 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of ground spices. If you stick to the original recipe you will end up with your grandmothers choped liver
Mary Melick.
Rinse and blot livers dry first. For less alcohol taste, add to frying pan with chicken livers.
Rowena
This made a delicious pate, and I like others, just used my already ground spices to taste. However, it makes quite a lot, and I didn’t realize at the time that I needed to put some ghee or melted lard over the top in order to extend its life in the refrigerator. So, unfortunately I will have to discard nearly all of it. Next time, I think I will half or even quarter the recipe.
Keith
Instead of the spices I used Quatre epice. Très français
Niffer
Simple, easy and delicious. Had 3 ounces of chicken livers so pared down the quantities to match that. Didn’t have allspice berries. I was amazed at how lovely the pâté turned out. Not sure if it made a difference, but the chicken I bought fresh from the farmers market, so it was special.
Will Spires
Why wouldn't you flame the brandy before adding it to the pan little bits before it all went into the blander?
Lee
Hard to brown the livers and not over cook them when adding to the onions. I recommend searing the livers in butter or ghee first, then remove to a plate to cool. Then sauté the onions and spices and liquor. Then put everything in the blender.
Name
Make with vermouth instead of brandy
Sarah
Making for the third time today, I'm doubling the spices, keeping the brandy at 2 T and upping the salt a good 1/2 t. as it was a bit bland for our taste. Still -- was very well appreciated.
Sarah
In fact, I upped the spices by only 50% -- chickened out (tee hee) before I poured them into the blender -- and it turned out just right!
Boulder Mark
Followed the recipe loosely today for the second time. Forgot the brandy and it was still delicious. I completely love the ease of prep. I am going to try this method on a larger scale with pork liver.
Elyse
I made this with black truffle butter, instead of regular butter, and it made it even better
Kristin
Spices are way too strong for me. For 1/2 lb livers used 1/tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp allspice and a pinch of cloves. No coriander because I didn’t have any. Onions like smitten kitchen recipe.
Alex G
I made this with turkey liver to serve as an appetizer on Thanksgiving
Billy
Can you substitute beef liver for the chicken?
Joe
Chicken livers are delicate with a sweet flavor, beef/veal not so much.
1-29-21
Use 1.25 to 1.5 lb chicken livers. 1 lb was a little short to thickenUse 3 allspice berries and 6 coriander seeds. Maybe a touch more brandy if the additional liver makes it too thick.
Joyce
I used Calvados because that is what I had. I also mistakenly left out the butter when doing the blender part. It tasted great anyway and I was glad to have a lower calorie snack.
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