One of my biggest guilty pleasures is definitely a tub of Woolies chicken liver pate (especially their cranberry compote duo one they do over Christmas) with a whole baguette to myself. Balmy evenings at home, we often prepare a little spread of fresh crusty bread, charcuterie, rocket, parmesan shavings, preserves (onion marmalade and green figs) and of course chicken liver pate. When I have time, I quite like frying a few sage leaves in butter until crispy and serving it with the spread. All these goodies work so well together.
I’ve made this pate so many times, I can’t even count. There’s a little bit of bacon in this recipe to provide a gentle smokiness and the sherry just lifts it with a pleasant sweetness. Enjoy!
Homemade chicken liver pate with bacon and sherry
250 g chicken livers, cleaned (remove greenish parts – they impart a bitter aftertaste)
2 rashers streaky bacon, finely diced
100 g butter
½ small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
½ t (3 ml) dried thyme
pinch of nutmeg
2 T (30 ml) sherry or brandy
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
50 g butter, melted
Heat half of the butter in a frying pan and sauté bacon, onion, garlic, thyme for a few minutes until fragrant, add the rest of butter and fry until bubbling . Now add the livers and sauté for 5 minutes (they should still be a little pink but not bloody inside – don’t overcook).
Add the sherry and heat through for 30 seconds to cook the alcohol away.
Place all the pan contents (including the buttery cooking juices) into a food processor and blend until a smooth paste is formed. Optional: To make it even more smooth – press through a sieve. Season to taste and spoon into 4-6 small ramekins or pots.
Pour the butter over each pate and chill for at least an hour before serving.
Serve with crusty bread, preserves, fresh rocket ( and optional: fried sage leaves)
