# Chicken Liver Pate



## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 9, 2015)

This is my recipe for Chicken Liver Pate.  It is a creamy smooth pate rich in flavor, with a wonderful balance of herbs and spices.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:  
1 ½ lb chicken livers
2 sticks butter 
1 tbs. Morten’s Quick Cure
1 tsp. sugar
¼ tsp. garlic powder	
1 onion, diced
1/2 tsp. ground sage
1/8 tsp. powdered ginger
1/4 tsp. white pepper  
2 cups water

Place the water into a sauce pan along with the Quick Cure and bring to a boil.  Add the chicken livers and onions, and cook until the livers are just barely done.  Over cooking will make them mealy rather than smooth and creamy.  
Drain the pan and place the ingredients into your blender with the remaining ingredients.  Blend until silky smooth. Pour into a covered container and chill in the fridge for two hours.  This is great on crackers, or toast points.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## medtran49 (Jun 10, 2015)

Just out of curiosity, why are you using Quick Cure?  Kind of seems like overkill since ground chicken livers/pate is inherently tender and you aren't "curing" it per se since the livers are being cooked immediately and pate is generally consumed quickly.  

We like Emeril's Country Pate with veal, ham, pork and chicken livers plus port, brandy and assorted spices.  A bit more trouble (actually a good bit more work) and expense but it is very, very, very good.  My BIL ate nearly half of the recipe by himself once.  He couldn't stop eating it.


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 10, 2015)

I will give this one a try, I think I will pulse instead of blend to retain a little texture and maybe add a splash of cognac.  I can never resist changing things a little! 

I use the curing salt because it helps to retain a rosy color. I believe you could use regular salt with no problem.

I make this pork liver pate in the winter.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f14/country-p-t-at-home-85362.html#post1261623


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## Roll_Bones (Jun 10, 2015)

I have never heard about boiling the livers first. Only sautéing them first.
I am asking as I have never made this, but want to.


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## medtran49 (Jun 10, 2015)

Roll_Bones said:


> I have never heard about boiling the livers first. Only sautéing them first.
> I am asking as I have never made this, but want to.


 
The recipe I use mixes all the raw meats with spices and it sits overnight in fridge (curing, short but still curing), then it all gets ground, mixed up and baked.  Jacques' recipe uses them raw as well.  

Country Pate Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 10, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> The recipe I use mixes all the raw meats with spices and it sits overnight in fridge (curing, short but still curing), then it all gets ground, mixed up and baked. Jacques' recipe uses them raw as well.
> 
> Country Pate Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network


 
By either boiling, or sauteing in butter to pre-cook the liver, I can get it to just the right texture and not overcook them.  This is then blended with the other ingredients to make the pate very smooth and soft, spreadable if you will.  

I have made pate's that were made by placing layers of raw meat strips, with seasonings, garlic, and oniln into buttered loaf pans, then baking until done.  This makes a pate that is very similar to home made lunch meats, which is a completely different kind of pate'.  It just depends on the end result I'm trying to achieve.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## Andy M. (Jun 10, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> The recipe I use mixes all the raw meats with spices and it sits overnight in fridge (curing, short but still curing), then it all gets ground, mixed up and baked.  Jacques' recipe uses them raw as well.
> 
> Country Pate Recipe : Emeril Lagasse : Food Network





Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> ...I have made pate's that were made by placing layers of raw meat strips, with seasonings, garlic, and oniln into buttered loaf pans, then baking until done.  This makes a pate that is very similar to home made lunch meats, which is a completely different kind of pate'.  It just depends on the end result I'm trying to achieve.
> 
> Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



Sounds like you are both describing a terrine: Terrine (food) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


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## medtran49 (Jun 10, 2015)

Andy M. said:


> Sounds like you are both describing a terrine: Terrine (food) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



Pate is defined as a seasoned, ground animal protein and binding agent that may also include nuts and-or veges.  The type of pate that Aunt Bea and I referenced is pate en terrine.  The type of pate Chief references is a pate mousse preparation, which may or may not contain dairy.  There is also a pate en croute.  

Terrines are not necessarily pates.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 10, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> Pate is defined as a seasoned, ground animal protein and binding agent that may also include nuts and-or veges.  The type of pate that Aunt Bea and I referenced is pate en terrine.  The type of pate Chief references is a pate mousse preparation, which may or may not contain dairy.  There is also a pate en croute.
> 
> Terrines are not necessarily pates.


... but pate's can be terrines.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## medtran49 (Jun 10, 2015)

Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> ... but pate's can be terrines.
> 
> Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North



And I mentioned that when I noted _*pate in terrine*_.  Why the reiteration and not an answer to my original ?about the Quick Cure since it seems to be superfluous in this preparation and an unnecessary use of  extra chemicals?


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## taxlady (Jun 10, 2015)

Andy M. said:


> Sounds like you are both describing a terrine: Terrine (food) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia


I would call the one Medtran posted a pate and the one Chief Longwind posted a terrine.



Chief Longwind Of The North said:


> ... but pate's can be terrines.
> 
> Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


Yes they can, but all terrines are not pate. No ground meat, not a pate.


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## taxlady (Jun 10, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> And I mentioned that when I noted _*pate in terrine*_.  Why the reiteration and not an answer to my original ?about the Quick Cure since it seems to be superfluous in this preparation and an unnecessary use of  extra chemicals?


To me, it is just unnecesssary chemicals too. The QC is just for a nice pink colour.


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (Jun 10, 2015)

medtran49 said:


> And I mentioned that when I noted _*pate in terrine*_.  Why the reiteration and not an answer to my original ?about the Quick Cure since it seems to be superfluous in this preparation and an unnecessary use of  extra chemicals?



I was trying to be funny, hence the big-grin.  Evidently, I didn't succeed.  I figured that Aunt Bea's response had already answered your question about the quick cure.  In the posted recipe, the quick cure was used to keep the pate' pink.  It can be omitted completely from the recipe, as you state.  In fact, the batch that I am just finishing was made with kosher salt, and no quick cure.  It tasted just like the other.  It was also made with pork liver, something I'd not tried.  The pork liver was actually milder in flavor than is chicken liver, and was very good in the recipe.  Oh, and remember, every substance on this planet is made up of chemicals, or minerals.  Chemicals aren't necessarily a bad thing.  Salt is a chemical, as is dimethylbenzimidazolyl)cobamidcyanid, which is one of the molecules in Cobalamin, also known as vitamin B12, one of the vitamins required for proper brain cellular function.  Even water has a chemical name, two in fact - Hydrogen Hydroxide, and dihydrogen monoxide, which are both correct, though the 2nd was used as part of a hoax and is not normally used. But I'm getting off topic here so I quit.

You don't have to use Quick Cure.  The color isn't pleasant though.  I don't mind the color, and the nitrites, or nitrates (can't remember which is used in sausage making, and meat staining), if too concentrated, is a carcinogen.  It was initially used to inhibit the growth of  Clostridium botulinum, the organism that produces the botulism toxin.  The organism activates in low, or no levels of oxygen, such as in sausage casings.

Was that too much information?  I'm thinking yes.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## letscook (Jun 10, 2015)

I make this one and never have any left.

 Liver Pate
 sauté till liver is done and not crispy
 as it is cooking mash liver with fork
 1-lb Chicken liver chopped
 1/4 cup diced onion
 3 tbl butter
 add 1 - 8 oz cream cheese and mix in to liver mixture till blended
 then add
 1/4 tsp each oregano & basil
 chopped pepperoni  (never measured it but would say about 1/2 cup  (I have used cooked bacon too)
 salt and pepper to taste.
 place into a plastic wrap lined bowl or container  refridge till firm and when ready to serve remove from container onto plate and serve with your favorite  crackers.

 I love this hot also.
 When I plate it I put it on top of plate of large leaf lettuce and then put hard boil eggs wedges -red & green peppers  rings around it.		 										 			 
				__________________


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## taxlady (Jun 10, 2015)

I once overcooked some chicken liver. I decided to see if I could rescue it. I fried a bunch of sliced onion in EVOO until nice and soft. I put the overcooked livers and the onion through the meat grinder. Some salt and pepper and it made a very nice spread.


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## letscook (Jun 10, 2015)

Taxlady,  it surprising how the simplest things or unexpected turn out to be fantastic. 

In the mood for some chicken livers now.  My favorite way to have them other then pate is just to sauté them with some onions and then make a sandwich with them on with buttered bread. The worst part -- is I love when eating it the butter melts and drips all over.  Talk about asking for a heart attack !!!! .  Everything in moderation they say !!!


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## Aunt Bea (Jun 11, 2015)

Chief mentioned pork liver above so it's fair game for this thread to take a new turn! 

I've been looking for some recipes that use ground pork and pork liver, both still good buys in my area compared to ground beef.  I have been reading recipes for Liverwurst and am finding that you can make it at home using a technique similar to the one used in the pate recipe from Jacques Pepin.  This recipe is one of many that I have read.  I just need to decide on the combination of herbs and spices, each recipe is slightly different.

Quick and Easy Liverwurst | following my nose


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