Chicken Liver Pâté

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luluesque_Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches

Back in April 2012, I posted a recipe for making Vietnamese bánh-mi sandwiches, in which I mentioned pâté.

I’m no food historian but from what I understand, this traditional Vietnamese street food originally started out as French baguettes with butter and pâté. When you combine French colonial influence with the exotic flavors and abundant fresh herbs of Vietnam, along with some culinary innovation of the Vietnamese people, you are presented with an exquisite combination of color, texture, flavor, and history! It’s essentially an umami experience!

Without further adieu, here is the chicken liver pâté recipe I conjured up in my kitchen. Enjoy! 🙂

INGREDIENTS:

  • 1 lb. organic chicken livers ~ thoroughly washed, trimmed, cut into medium-sized chunks
  • 1 large yellow onion ~ peeled, sliced
  • 1 large shallot ~ peeled, sliced
  • 6 cloves garlic ~ peeled, smashed
  • 2 tbs organic butter ~ I used frozen organic butter sticks
  • sea salt ~ to taste
  • freshly ground black pepper ~ to taste
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup white wine ~ I used Naked Grape chardonnay

INSTRUCTIONS:

  1. In a large stainless steel skillet, heat the butter, on medium heat, until it starts to lightly bubble.
  2. Add the onion, shallot, and garlic. Sauté until golden-brown and/or aromatic.
  3. Add the liver, wine, sea salt, and black pepper. Gently stir until the liver appear half-cooked. Toss in the bay leaves.
  4. Cover the skillet and let it simmer for about 3 minutes.
  5. Remove the lid and continue to simmer for another 3 minutes, or as long as it appears the liquid is mostly evaporated/absorbed.
  6. Remove the skillet from the stovetop and let it cool. Discard the bay leaves.
  7. Use a food processor or hand-held blender to blend the cooked ingredients into a smooth paste. Voila! 🙂