Luxuriously smooth……
I would describe this pâté as a luxurious treat. Throw in some cornichons and some thin slices of crostini and you will be delighted with the results. (I forgot the cornichons so my group did not get the tiny little pickles to go with the yummy pate.
I’ve eaten and cooked my share of organ meats; things like tongue, lamb fries, sweetbreads, tripe, chitterlings and gizzards but I’ve never been a fan of chicken livers and their mushy texture; although I do love terrines and pâté. So, when I saw someone on one of the cooking networks make a pâté, I knew I was going to have to make one. But, where was I to start, the Internet of course.
I started with Julia Child’s recipe but then I went to one of my favorite French sites — David Lebovitz. I ended up making his recipe for the pâté but added cognac instead of the port; but then I went back to Julia’s recipe and added fresh thyme and allspice. Thyme is a classic seasoning in most liver pâté and I have a fantastic herb garden this year. (see pics below)
I also added the allspice to the Gelee that goes on top of the pâté.* I was intrigued by the idea of David putting hard boiled eggs in the mixture and by the time it was blended in the food processor there was no evidence of egg parts. The one thing I would have liked to try was David’s jelly on top. He used the port wine again which gave the gelee a really pretty shade of crimson.
While in France last year we found ourselves snacking on pâté and other French favorites daily. I’ve made rillettes before and have made a country pâté but have never tried a chicken liver pâté so this is a first for me.
The pâté can be served without the gelee on top but I like the finished touch it adds to the serving container. Serve with some toasted thinly sliced baguettes with a sprinkle of sea salt. Thinly sliced apples would also be delicious with the dish. One recipe I came across used calvados (apple brandy) in the pate (some call this a mousse) and the gelee and she also put the apples in the pâté.