Duck Liver Pate Recipes

DUCK LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• 1. Place duck fat in a skillet, and cook over medium to high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the fat has melted and some of it has browned.
• 2. Add the shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the liver, herbes de Provence, and garlic, and cook over medium to high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper.
• 3. Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the Cognac, and blend until liquefied. If a finer textured pâté is desired, push the mixture through the holes of a strainer with a spoon. This will yield 1/2 cup. Let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours, then cover and and refrigerate until serving time.
• 4. Spread the pâté on the toasted baguette slices, and serve. The pâté will keep, well covered, for 3 to 4 days.

LIVER PATE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, chicken livers, and sliced onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until liver is cooked and tender. Remove from heat, drain, and discard onions. Also remove and discard any hard portions of the liver.
• Place cooked livers in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Add chopped onion, sherry, butter or margarine, salt, black pepper, and mace; pulse to blend. With hands lightly greased, form pate mixture into a mound, and place on a serving platter. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

VELVETY DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Cut away and discard any large sinews from the livers, then set the livers aside. Heat about a third of the butter in a large frying pan, then gently fry the shallots and garlic for 3-4 mins unti l soft. Turn up the heat, add the livers, then fry until just browned on all sides. Add the brandy and port, boil down as quickly as possible - if the sauce catches light for an instant, then all the better. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Season the livers generously, then tip the contents of the pan into a food processor with the tomato purée and remaining butter, and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, taste for seasoning, then tip into a serving dish, banging the dish down on the tabletop to smooth out the surface. Place in the fridge to set.
• Once the mixture has set, make the topping. Gently melt the butter in a small pan or in a bowl in the microwave, then leave for a min to settle and separate. Pour the yellow butter that has risen to the top into another bowl and discard the milky liquid. Leave the yellow butter to cool slightly, then mix in the thyme and peppercorns. Pour the mixture over the parfait and leave to set in the fridge. Serve with plenty of toast, sliced gherkins and chutney. Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.

DUCK LIVER PATE WITH CROSTINI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Coat a large saute pan with olive oil and add the anchovies, capers and smashed garlic. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until the anchovies have dissolved.
• Add the duck livers, then turn up the heat and saute until the livers are halfway to three-quarters of the way done, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the brandy and cook until the brandy has reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. (It should still be pretty soupy.)
• Transfer everything to a food processor and puree until smooth. Season with a little salt, if needed, and loosen with a little olive oil if needed.
• Brush the tops of the baguette slices with olive oil. Bake on a sheet tray until golden, about 6 minutes. Rub toasted baguette with a clove of garlic, then schmear each toast with the pate.

DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Two days before serving cut away and discard any large sinews from the duck livers.
• Soak the livers in milk, 500ml (2 cups) of water and 10ml (2 tsp) salt, overnight. This will help to reduce any bitterness.
• The day before serving, start making the parfait. Rinse the livers, pat dry and set aside.
• Gently fry the shallots and garlic in oil and butter until softened.
• Add the thyme then pour in the port and brandy.
• Bring the contents to a boil until the liquid has been reduced by a third.
• Lower the temperature to a minimum setting and add the livers, stirring them until they have browned, which should take around 2 minutes. Remove from the heat.
• Preheat the oven to 130°C/27°0F/gas mark ½.
• Remove the thyme sprigs and place the rest of the contents in a blender. Process until smooth.
• While the processor is running, add one cracked egg into the mix every 30 seconds. This should take around 4 minutes and the mixture should be silky smooth.
• Pour the melted butter very slowly while the motor is running.
• Season to taste.
• Sieve the mixture to ensure the parfait is perfectly smooth.
• You can either use 24 ramekins or 2 large terrine tins. Whatever you decide, pour the parfait into the dishes and place them in deep baking trays. Cover all of them with greaseproof paper.
• Fill the baking trays with water up to two-thirds of the height of the dishes.
• Place the trays in the oven and cook for 40 minutes. You need a thermometer to test whether the parfait has reached an internal temperature of 65°C/150°F. If not, cook for a few minutes longer and keep checking until the desired temperature has been reached.
• Remove from the oven and leave to cool for 30 minutes.
• You now have a choice to freeze it for later use, or you can place it in the fridge overnight to firm up.
• If you choose the latter, you can remove the greaseproof paper and spread softened butter on top of each dish to help retain its moisture and prevents oxidation.
• Serve the next day with amaretto cherries or persimmon chutney.

DUCK LIVER PATE

Steps:

• Combine duck livers and milk in a non-reactive bowl and refrigerate overnight to remove blood. Strain (discard liquid), then rinse livers and pat dry with paper towels.
• Preheat oven to 150C. Combine shallot, Port and brandy in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until reduced to about 60ml (5-10 minutes).
• Meanwhile, heat 60gm butter in a frying pan over medium-high heat, add livers and fry, turning occasionally, until just cooked on the outside but still rare in the middle (2-2½ minutes). Transfer to a blender with remaining butter, Port reduction and shallot, blend until smooth and season well to taste. Add eggs and blend until smooth, then strain through a fine sieve into a jug.
• Pour liver mixture into a 7cm x 10cm x 23cm loaf tin or pâté dish, then cover with a piece of baking paper and 2 pieces of foil or a lid. Place in a deep roasting pan lined with a tea towel, pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of tin and bake until set at the edges, but a little wobbly in the middle (1-1¼ hours). Remove pâté dish from water bath and set aside to cool, then chill completely in the fridge (at least 6 hours or overnight).
• Meanwhile, for Port jelly, bring Port to the simmer in a small saucepan, squeeze excess water from gelatine, add to Port and stir to dissolve. Set aside to cool (around 1 hour), then carefully spoon on top of chilled pâté, season with cracked pepper and refrigerate again until set (around 2 hours). Serve pâté with crackers or toasts.

DUCK LIVER PATE

Steps:

• Place duck fat in a skillet, and cook over medium to high heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the fat has melted and some of it has browned.
• Add the shallots, and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring occasionally. Add the liver, herbes de Provence, and garlic, and cook over medium to high heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the salt and pepper.
• Transfer the mixture to a blender, add the brandy (Cognac is most popular), and blend until liquefied. Recipe yields about 1/2 cup. Let cool for at least 1 1/2 hours, then cover and refrigerate until serving time.
• Serve the pâté on crackers, toasted baguette slices, or use as sandwich spread. The pâté will keep, well covered, for 3 to 4 days.

DUCK LIVER PATE

Steps:

• Heat 30gm butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallot, garlic and thyme and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is soft (5-6 minutes). Add bacon, cook until crisp (2-3 minutes), season to taste, then transfer mixture to a food processor. Heat 30gm butter in same pan, add livers and cook until brown (1-2 minutes each side), then add to food processor. Return pan to heat, deglaze with brandy, cook for 2-3 minutes, scraping base of pan with wooden spoon, then add to food processor. Add vinegar and remaining butter to food processor, process until smooth, then add cream and process to combine. Adjust seasoning to taste, pass through a fine metal sieve, spoon into a 2½ cup-capacity mould to 2cm below rim and refrigerate until surface is just set (15-20 minutes). Pour over clarified butter to cover and refrigerate until set (2-3 hours).
• For pickled shallots and curly endive salad, combine wine, vinegar and sugar in a saucepan. Season to taste and stir over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves. Bring to the boil, add shallot, remove from heat and stir to combine. Cool, drain shallot, reserving 1 tbsp of pickling liquid, and transfer to a bowl. Add curly endive and set aside. Whisk pickling liquid and olive oil to combine, season to taste, drizzle over curly endive mixture and toss lightly. Serve with pâté and toasted baguette.

DUCK LIVER PâTé WITH ARMAGNAC

Steps:

• To make the pâté, take a medium-sized, heavy-based frying pan, melt about 25g of the butter in it and fry the duck livers over a medium heat for about 5 minutes. Keep them on the move, turning them over quite frequently. Then remove them from the pan with a draining spoon and transfer them to a blender or food processor. Now, in the same pan, gently melt 150g of the remaining butter and add this to the blender or food processor. Then pour the Armagnac onto the juices left in the frying pan (to capture all the lovely flavours) and pour that over the livers. Now add the mustard, mace, thyme, garlic and some seasoning. Leave to stand for 10 minutes, then blend until you have a smooth, velvety purée. Next, divide this between the ramekins (or pots) and use some damp kitchen towel to clean the edges. Then melt the remaining 50g of the butter, pour a little over each one to seal, press in a sprig of thyme and a juniper berry, and leave them to get quite cold. Cover with clingfilm and place in the fridge till needed. Don't forget to remove from the fridge about an hour before serving as the pâté needs to be eaten at room temperature. This is good served with Spiced Pickled Prunes in Armagnac or Marmalade of Apples, Raisin & Shallots (see below).

DUCK LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• Rinse the liver, pat dry, remove any tendons and sinew and dice. Toss with the thyme, brandy, port and curing salt and marinate, covered, for about 2 hours in the refrigerator.
• Peel the apple, core and cut into small cubes. Melt the butter and let cool.
• Transfer the duck liver, apple and egg to a food processor and purée. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Pass through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat the oven to 100°C (approximately 210°F). Distribute the liver pâtè between 4 small glasses, smooth the surfaces, cover and place in a hot water bath. Bake for about 45-60 minutes, let cool and serve.

DUCK LIVER PATé

Steps:

• Hard boil the egg. Cool, peel, and set aside.
• In a medium sauté pan melt 1 tbsp of butter. Add livers, season with salt and pepper, and sauté over medium heat to medium doneness (about 5-7 minutes), continuously basting the liver with the melted butter. When done, set aside to cool.
• Melt the other tbsp of butter and add shallot and apples and cook over medium heat til soft (about 10 minutes). Add capers and cook for 2 additional minutes then add brandy to pan to deglaze. Remove from heat.
• Add all ingredients (including the hard boiled egg and red wine vinegar) to a food processor or blender and run on high until silky smooth. Timing will depend on your machine. You may need to stop and scrape the sides of your food processor from time to time. Transfer to a serving dish and chill for 2 hours before serving. Serve with crackers or sliced baguette.