CHICKEN LIVER PATÉ WITH PORT WINE AND PISTACHIOS
CHICKEN LIVER PATÉ WITH PORT WINE AND PISTACHIOS
This is the snack on top of the crackers or biscuits and a glass of wine, open a can of smoked mussels, don’t forget the Camembert or Brie cheese and cut open some delicious ripe figs…and whalaa…you have your own snack platter combo! Cheers!
Ingredients for the Liver Pate:
100 ml dry white wine (just under 1/2 cup)
100 ml brandy (or cognac or whisky, just under 1/2 cup)
100 ml port wine, good quality (just under 1/2 cup)
1 small onion, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled, crushed, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme
500 g chicken livers
4 -6 tablespoons butter (Baking butter)
1⁄2 teaspoon salt (coarse salt or flaky sea salt)
1 teaspoon pepper, black, coarse
100 g pistachio nuts, finely chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Put the white wine, brandy and HALF of the port (50 ml) in a small pot with the onion, garlic and thyme. (No need to taste it as you add…finish the recipe first…hahaha!)
Simmer until reduced to 1/2 of original volume (It can be hard to judge this, especially with the onion bits in it. Just tilt the pot, and take a guess!).
During that time, melt the butter in a frying pan…You need enough butter so you have sauce left in the pan when the livers are done.
Add and fry the cleaned chicken livers over fairly high heat in the butter, until they are just pink on the inside. Do not overcook…cut a few open to see degree of done, fry for about 10 minutes, and stir often.
Put the chicken livers in a processor / blender with ALL of the butter sauce left in the pan, and then add the boiled down liquor.
Add the salt and pepper and Whizz the livers. Add the other half of the port and whizz until you have a quite soft spread, too soft to use at this stage. (It will firm up in the fridge).
The 50 ml should be enough to make the liver spread reach an almost runny consistency, but if not, add more. (Add to the mix…not drink as you go, okay?) Taste your mix to your preference of salt consistency, add more accordingly.
When the liver spread is velvety smooth, scrape out into a bowl, and mix in the nuts. Cover with plastic wrap, cool, and then leave in fridge to firm up, overnight.
The spread develops great flavour over the next day. Can be kept and used for up to a week.
PS: You may double up on the ingredients if you’re a liver pate lover like me…always good to cook your own, then you know what’s in it..yes? And believe me….you can never have enough pate…so calculate to satisfy your mood.
Photo: Morne
