Chicken Liver Paté: The Topic

[thirtyoneknots]

So I've got nearly 2 1/2 lbs of pork liver sitting in my freezer and I think this type of thing would be a perfect application for it. What I'm wondering is if it is possible/prudent/recommended to make your forcemeat, cook it into crocks, seal with delicious fat, and then refreeze. Will the pate/mousse within suffer unduly from such a treatment?

[Mark Muller]

So I've got nearly 2 1/2 lbs of pork liver sitting in my freezer and I think this type of thing would be a perfect application for it. What I'm wondering is if it is possible/prudent/recommended to make your forcemeat, cook it into crocks, seal with delicious fat, and then refreeze. Will the pate/mousse within suffer unduly from such a treatment?

I don't have experience with purely liver based patés, but I have successfully frozen pork paté (that included some liver). I froze it after I made the forcemeat, but before cooking in its mold. My procedure was pretty much:

Grind/flavor/mix forcemeat as usual

Place forcemeat in disposable aluminum loaf pan

Place loaf pan in freezer bag and freeze the whole thing

Remove from freezer and allow to thaw in refrigerator

Bake the paté as usual, right in the disposable loaf pan

The resulting paté was every bit as good (to me, at least) as ones made without the freezing step. In fact, I think they were better. My theory is the extra time of everything being together allowed for more of a cure and/or better marrying of flavors. This is now my go to technique for patés - instead of making one good size one, I make a double batch and divvy it up between three slightly smaller disposable loaf pans and freeze two of the them for future consumption.

[Blether]

As I understand what you wrote, thirtyoneknots, you're talking about freezing after cooking. IME, perfectly safe, but it changes the pate's texture. It makes it more crumbly.

I like your freeze-uncooked idea, Mark.

[ScoopKW]

My secret to chicken liver pate is to add my frozen six-month supply of goose and duck liver, which I keep for just this occasion.

The chix liver provides the texture, and the dux and gooz liver provides the unctuousness.

[thirtyoneknots]

As I understand what you wrote, thirtyoneknots, you're talking about freezing after cooking. IME, perfectly safe, but it changes the pate's texture. It makes it more crumbly.

I like your freeze-uncooked idea, Mark.

Ok, thanks that's what I suspected might happen. Mark's idea sounds spot-on.

[vice]

Does it make a difference with regard to freezing that we're talking about two very different things: i.e., the smooth, spreadable pate that Chris Amirault had in mind when starting this topic vs. the meatloaf-like pate de campagne (or similar) described by Mark Muller?

[Gregg]

Mine is very close to Chris' original post. Always use Cognac for the booze. Egg yolks instead of whole eggs for richness. I like a little parsley in the mix. And 1/2 butter, 1/2 duck fat for...well, you know why.

[xxchef]

Mine is similar but add minced carrot and celery and some fresh herbs (parsley, thyme and summer savory especially) to the livers/butter/cream, fully cook them and reduce the liquid a bit before pureeing. I like a little sherry or Madeira in addition to brandy for the booze. Fine sieve then pack into ramekins and chill (no further cooking required).

[Dakki]

CLP from Jacques Pepin's recipe.

I think next time I'll cover with aspic and some decoration instead of butter, as in Ann_T's beautiful offering a few posts up.

[Broken English]

I love chicken liver pate, the recipe I use is about as close to foie gras as I can get without using it. I find duck is a little too strong for my recipe, it takes on too much of a strong liver flavour.

2kg chicken livers, soaked overnight in milk and cleaned

12 shallots

8 cloves of garlic, sliced

300ml port

100ml cream

1 sprig rosemary

5 sprigs thyme

750g butter

6 egg yolks

Confit the eschallots and garlic in butter slowly until caramelised. Pour into a bowl.

In the same pan, fry off the livers briefly and add to the eschallots. Deglaze with the port and reduce, Add the cream and herbs and reduce. Strain.

Puree the livers with butter, egg yolks and port reduction, season to taste, pass and set.

[threestars]

These are all wonderful recipes! Hope I can try any of them real soon.

[Viktoria]

Not long ago, I tried to make chicken liver pate. I made so many mistakes that it was not only unpalatable, but I'm afraid I've given myself a liver phobia

[Chris Amirault]

Try again! It's very forgiving, I find, if you're careful not to overcook the liver or the eggs, and the variations are endless.

[budrichard]

A pate as it seems this Post is about whether chicken liver or whatever liver is about fat.

That is why foie gras is used because it doesn't require fat additions. Normal liver of whatever kind does, even if regular duck or goose liver from domestic animals. don't even think of using wild livers without fat additions.

Pepin's chicken liver pate is wonderful but uses butter and lots of it.

I save the skin and freeze from whole chickens that i purchase and break down.

When I want to make chicken liver pate. I render the fat as shmaltz as previously mentioned and after browning my chicken livers and pureeing, I add the schmaltz with whatever herbs and seasoning I want until the right consistency and palatability are achieved.

I find the shmaltz gives me the flavor I prefer over butter.

Of course if you just course grind the livers, add onion and chopped hard boiled eggs, you have the classic Deli style chicken liver.-Dick

[Kerry Beal]

Chefsteps recipe was mentioned I believe in the dinner thread earlier this month. Having run across some chicken livers in the supermarket I decided to give it a go.

 

Poor planning on my part mean that I was trying to emuslify (and do it quietly) just before I ran out of the house to a funeral home visitation and hence my emulsion was rather poor. I had the brilliant idea (I think based on something I glanced at in the comments on Chefsteps) to bung the jars in the vacuum chamber to eliminate any bubbles. Not a good idea. After I was finally able to get the vacuum chamber open again I dropped the big chunk of plastic into the raw pate and had it in my hair, on my glasses, down my shirt... 

 

 

So after the funeral home visit - I hit the grocery store across the street - got another package of chicken livers and made a half batch. Anna had a bottle of schmaltz in her fridge that I was able to use to seal the tops. Much more satisfactory result.

 

 

 

 

[HungryChris]

Made a small batch of CLP topped with chive butter this morning, using Jacques Pepin's recipe.

HC

[Kim Shook]

This is the recipe that I use.  It was given to me by a good friend and I've used it for years.  Oddly enough, I've had success making pate with leftover fried chicken livers.  I'm the only one in my house that likes liver, but Mr. Kim will eat pate.  So when I just HAVE to have chicken livers, I order them at a local restaurant, take home the leftovers (there are always LOTS of them - folks are very generous with chicken livers, I find), scrape off the breading and proceed with the recipe.  

[kayb]

I use this recipe from Gourmet magazine. About every third or fourth year, I'll make it and include it in the Christmas goodie baskets.

 

 

[Kim Shook]

8 hours ago, kayb said:

I use this recipe from Gourmet magazine. About every third or fourth year, I'll make it and include it in the Christmas goodie baskets.

 

 

Looks wonderful.  Sadly, there is not one person that we gift that would appreciate pate.  

[caroled]

4 minutes ago, Kim Shook said:

Looks wonderful.  Sadly, there is not one person that we gift that would appreciate pate.  

That'd be me.... over here!!!

 

[kayb]

One of these years, I'm going to make some and try pressure-canning it, so it'll be shelf stable. I generally, if I'm going to gift it, put it in the little four-ounce jelly jars. Would be handy to have them shelf-stable.

[liuzhou]

Maybe I'm just lazy or over-simplistic, but when I make chicken liver pâté I keep it simple. Shallots and lightly fried livers (still pink inside) blitzed until smooth. I fry in olive oil. Salt and pepper. Stop!

 

No eggs. No alcohol.  No cream or butter (other than to seal the top). I did once put brandy in and found it most disagreeable. Although I like brandy, but in a glass please.

 

[caroled]

@liuzhou, your pate looks fantastic. Right up my alley!

[HungryChris]

Made another small batch of CLP. This time I used some thyme and gelatin just to see how it would work. I kinda like the result.

HC