"Ducken" Liver Pâté

Ingredients:


1 lb. 10 oz. fresh chicken (and duck) livers
Scant 2/3 c. brandy
1 stick unsalted butter
1 lg. onion, finely chopped
1 garlic cloves, crushed
1 heaping tsp. fresh thyme, crushed
5 juniper berries
2 bay leaves
Sea salt, to taste
Fresh ground pepper, to taste
1/2 c. whipping cream

Clean the livers of veins, etc.  Rinse and pat dry.  Pour brandy over livers in small bowl and cover in refrigerator for several hours or overnight.  Then proceed as follows:

Sauté onion in half of the butter over low heat until soft and transparent.

Drain livers, reserving liquid, and add to onions.  Increase heat to moderate.

Add seasonings.

 Continue to cook, stirring, until livers change color.  Make sure there is no red.  Add the rest of the marinade and simmer gently for 5 minutes.  Remove from heat and let cool several minutes.

Place livers and liquid in food processor.

Make sure Zephyr has a toy in her mouth to stifle her crazed barking at the food processor!  (Note Tai looking at her as if to say, "What are you on about?")

Now, process livers till smooth.

Add remaining half stick of butter, cut into chunks and process till completely blended.

Pour cream in, processing till just blended.

Pâté should look like this.

Spoon pate into clean jars.  Use spoon to push out most of the air bubbles.  Cover top of pâté with a layer of clarified butter.   Place lids lightly on jars, but do not screw shut.  Put pâté jars in freezer.  When frozen, screw jar lids on.  Store pâté in freezer until ready to eat.

Be sure to save a bit out to taste on toasted French bread or crackers!

This recipe was mostly adapted from The Food of France: A Journey for Food Lovers by Maria Villegas and Sarah Randell.  I had a little less liver than 1 1/2 times their recipe; I cut the butter a little bit to make the amount an easy 1 stick; and I increased the brandy because I used almost enough for 2 recipes.  :)  I also doubled the garlic amount and probably used a bit less onion than called for, although they did not specify size or weight on the onion.  Juniper berries and bay leaves were inspired by The Wonderful Food of Provence by Jean-Nöel Escudier and Peta J. Fuller.

Herb, Zephyr and I can all testify that this pâté is delicious!  I have six various-sized containers in the freezer that I will share with family and friends, keeping two nice-sized ones for Herb and me.