Chicken Liver Pâté with Brandy and Thyme
Livers seared hard and blended smooth with butter and brandy, an appetizer that tastes like more effort than a food processor actually requires.
- Serves
- 6
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Written
Method
-
Pat the chicken livers dry and trim away any green-tinged spots or connective tissue.
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Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook the shallot until translucent, about 3 minutes.
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Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
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Push the shallot to the side, add the livers, and sear until browned outside but still pink at the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
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Pour in the brandy, scraping up the browned bits, and let it bubble until the pan is nearly dry.
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Transfer everything to a food processor with the thyme, salt, and pepper, and pulse until roughly chopped.
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Add the remaining butter and the cream, then blend until completely smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides.
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Push the pâté through a fine-mesh sieve for a silky texture, or skip this if a coarser spread doesn’t bother you.
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Pack into a jar or ramekin, smooth the top, and pour a thin layer of melted butter over the surface to seal it.
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Chill until firm, at least 4 hours, and scatter with thyme sprigs before serving.
Notes
Searing the livers hot and fast matters more than any other step here — pull them while the centers are still pink, because gray, fully cooked liver turns chalky and mineral-tasting once it’s blended. The butter you add off the heat is what gives the pâté its shine and keeps it spreadable straight from the fridge instead of setting hard.
No brandy on hand, use a dry sherry or Cognac instead. Serve cold on toasted baguette with cornichons and a smear of grainy mustard — it keeps under its butter seal for the better part of a week.