Cordon Bleu Chicken Liver Pâté

Cordon Bleu Chicken Liver Pâté: When I first made Chicken Liver Pâté, I got the recipe from a series of Cordon Bleu books belonging to my mother. 

Having lived in France for some time, I can now appreciate just how special a good pâté can be. Sadly, you rarely see pâté being served. However, it remains one of my all time favorite recipes and I have written here for you.

If you have a drop of sherry at home feel free to use it instead of Marsala wine.

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Chicken Liver Pâté: serves 4 – 6

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 red onions
• 300 grams chicken liver
• 1 tablespoon fresh sage, finely chopped (or 1/2 amount for dried sage)
• 5 tablespoons dry Marsala wine
• 1/4 teaspoon mixed of salt, pepper
• 2 – 3 tablespoons chicken or meat stock
• 1 tablespoon of Pantelleria capers, prepared to your own taste (how to prepare capers)
• 3 tablespoons tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted

1. Remove all fat from the chicken liver and rinse a few times under running water, then roughly dice.
2. In a frying pan, add the oil and sauté the finely chopped onions with the sage until the onions are transparent.
3. Add the chicken liver to the pan and brown all sides.
4. Add the Marsala wine, salt and pepper then stir to combine.
5. Bring everything to simmer and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by at least 2/3rds and you can no longer taste the alcohol.
6. Add the stock and allow it all to simmer for a further three to four minutes
7. Remove from the heat and when it is cool enough, blend to a pâté in a food processor or blender.
8. Add two or three table spoons of broth to the pan then add the blended pâté over a low heat with the tomato purée, capers.
9. Bring the pâté to a simmer then remove from the heat and place into a serving dish or ramekins.
10. Level the pâté and pour enough butter over the pate to just cover it.
11. Allow it to cool completely before covering and placing in the fridge for up to 1 hour before servings.
12. As long as the butter is covering the top, your pâté will keep up to 3 – 5 days in the fridge and you can also freeze it very successfully.