Country Style Chicken Liver Pate with Sherry

Liver - it is one of those foods that you either hate or love, depending upon your personal psychological history with the organ. I was raised by a good German American who loved liver and fried onions and passed that along to her children. So I may be a bit biased when I say this pate is too die for, but once you try this, I don't think I will be alone in that judgment!

I could run through the long list of reasons why you should eat organ meats (or offals as restaurants call them) such as they are packed with important minerals like iron, folic acid, and copper, in addition to being high in B vitamins and vitamin A. Or remind you how inexpensive they are. Or I could just tell you that this pate is so simple and delicious that it will make you drop your pants! Meaning, you'll do just about anything for another taste!

I would strongly urge that you buy organic or pasture raised chicken livers (1 lb was $1.50 at my co-op, so price is not an issue) because the liver is the organ that processes waste. So if the chicken whose liver you are planning to eat was fed conventional feed grown with chemical pesticides and fertilizer, the liver is where all of that gunk was deposited. Kind of nullifies all of the nutritional benefits of liver! So buy happy meat, 'nuf said.

While I know the general ingredients for a rustic chicken liver pate, I looked around at recipes to get a better sense of proportions and found one I liked here (another Kirsten no less!) I tweaked the procedure a bit but stuck to the ingredients.


Country Style Chicken Liver Pate with Sherry (makes 2 1/2 - 3 cups)

1 lb chicken livers, trimmed
1 medium onion, minced
1 large clove garlic, minced
1.5 sticks of butter
1 tsp fresh sage, chopped (can use dried)
1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped (can use dried)
1 tsp fresh oregano, chopped (can use dried)
1/4 cup sherry
1/4 cup 1/2 and 1/2 or whole cream
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Saute chicken livers, onions and garlic in 1 stick butter. Add herbs and spices, saute until livers are cooked but still pink inside, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat, add sherry and stir to incorporate. Add remaining 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 and 1/2 and salt and pepper and puree in blender until smooth. Taste for salt and adjust. Refrigerate at least 2 hours to set.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:


Ricotta Pudding Cake with Roasted Grapes at Stacey Snacks
Chicken Marsala at Well Fed
Angels on Horseback at Simply Recipes