Liver Pâté

Classic liver paté recipe with ground pork, calf, chicken, or pork liver, bacon and spices.

I love baked liver pâté, or “pâté maison” as it is sometimes called. It is especially good with French bread and sweet pickles.

Liver Pâté Recipe

  • Prep time: 25 minutes
  • Cook time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 8-12.

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground pork, or chopped pork shoulder
  • 1 lb of liver – (chicken, calf’s, or pig’s), trimmed of connective tissue, diced
  • 1 Tablespoons of cognac or brandy
  • 1 Tablespoons of dry Madeira or sherry
  • 1 cloves garlic
  • 2 sprays of parsley
  • 1/2 shallot or small white onion
  • 1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
  • 1/8 teaspoon clove
  • 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Dash of Tabasco or cayenne
  • Sliced bacon – about 1/2 lb

Method

1 Grind the pork: Grind the pork through a meat grinder several times on a fine setting.

2 Process diced livers, cognac, Madeira, garlic, parsley, shallots, spices in a food processor: Place in a blender cognac or brandy, Madeira or sherry, garlic, parsley, shallot or onion, ginger, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg. Add diced livers and blend a cupful at a time. Season with salt and pepper, adding a dash of Tabasco or cayenne.
 

3 Mix the ground pork with the blended liver.

4 Layer a terrine dish with bacon and pate mixture: Line a 4×8-inch terrine with strips of bacon, fill with mixture, and cover with bacon.

 

5 Place terrine in a water bath: Place the terrine in a larger baking dish and fill the larger dish with water up to the halfway point on the side of the pâté dish. This « water bath » will help the pâté retain moisture and make for a smoother consistency in the texture.

6 Bake: Bake uncovered in a moderate oven, 350 degrees F, for about 1 1/2 hours.

7 Cool under a weight: Cool the pate under a weight so that it will become firm and fine-textured. To do this, lay a piece of waxed paper or aluminum foil over the pâté and set on top of the entire surface a board weighted with a heavy object. Chill in the refrigerator for several hours.

 

Serve: At serving time bring the terrine to the table, slice, and serve with crusty French bread or rolls and a glass of wine. Also good with lettuce and tomatoes.

Variation: Use chicken livers, pork, and sausage meat in equal quantities. See my second recipe for pâté maison.


From Poppy Cannon’s Eating European, 1961.