Gourmet Pate Recipes

BOURBON CHICKEN LIVER PâTé

Steps:

• Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.
• Melt remaining 1/2 stick butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. If using herb garnish, put sprig on top of pâté. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.
• Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.

GOURMET PATE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, melt 1/2 the salted butter.
• Finely chop the parsley
• Cook the onion over medium heat til almost transparent then add the parsley and cook 1-2 minutes longer.
• Spoon the onion/parsley mixture into the blender.
• Using the same skillet, melt the remaining salted butter.
• Add chicken livers and cook over med. high heat about 4 minutes stirring constantly, until browned outside but still a bit pink inside.
• Pouring the Cognac over the cooked chicken livers, ignite and let the flame burn out.
• Spoon the livers into the blender along with the onion/parsley mixture.
• Add 2 tbsp of cream, cover and blend on high til you have a smooth pate. If mixture is to thick, add up to 2 tbsp more of the cream. Stop and stir down as required
• Remove the cover (blades spinning) and add the sherry, salt, curry and garlic.
• Gradually adding the slices of the sweet butter. Stop and stir down as required.
• Spoon the pate into a 1 quart pottery dish, smoothing the top with a spatula.
• Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate.
• Pate should be served well chilled.