Whenever the holidays roll around, I can’t resist going back to my roots. It’s comforting to repeat customs and serve up the same traditional foods year after year. In every family, there are special dishes that endure: one grandma is known for her chicken soup, another makes the best lasagne, and so on. In my family, as in many Jewish families, chopped liver has long been a standard–you can bet that it’s served at every holiday meal. Of course, I’m never content to leave tradition alone. I must toy with it. Make it more modern. Make it mine. This recipe, which I found years ago in Gourmet Magazine, has long been a regular part of my holiday repertoire. Fragrant with herbs and a kick of bourbon, it is an elegant paté that takes chopped liver to new heights.
Bourbon Chicken Liver Paté
Perfect for entertaining, this paté can be made in advance–in fact, it tastes even better after a couple of days. Elegantly presented in ramekins or crocks, the paté is decorated with sprigs of herbs and sealed with a coating of clarified butter, which locks in its flavor. Simply beautiful to serve as an hors d’oeuvre, accompanied by crackers, or in this case, challah crostini.
In a large skillet, melt a stick of butter over medium-low heat.
Cook the chopped onion and garlic in the butter until translucent, stirring often, about 5 minutes.
Add the chopped fresh marjoram, thyme and sage to the pan.
Mix in the chicken livers and begin to sauté. Season with allspice, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Turn the livers frequently until they’re cooked on the outside, but still a little pink inside, about 8 minutes.
Stir in the bourbon and turn off the heat.
Add the chicken liver mixture to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pureed.
Spoon paté into ramekins or crocks and smooth tops using a spatula.
Decorate the tops with sprigs of herbs–make it pretty!
To make the clarified butter that will seal the tops of the paté, melt 1/2 stick butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Turn off the heat and let the butter stand until the milk solids settle to the bottom, about 3 minutes.
Using a small spoon, carefully skim the crust off the top of the butter.
Wipe the spoon and then ladle the clear butter over the top of the ramekins. Make sure not to pick up any of the white solids at the bottom of the pan.
Refrigerate for about 30 minutes to solidify the butter, then cover each ramekin with plastic wrap and foil and refrigerate until ready to use. You can keep the paté this way for up to 2 weeks; once you break the seal, it will last up to a week when covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated.
When serving, break the butter seal with a knife to spread the paté on crackers, matzo or toasted bread. To all my friends who celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year!
Thank you Nannette. Please let me know how they like it–it’s one of our family favorites!
Pennie, this looks wonderful I will have to make some and bring it to my parents next time I go to Ridgefield, we love paté. Bookmarked!