WEEK 42 WILDCARD WINNER

Tuscan Chicken Liver Pâté

Photography by Sarah Shatz

    BY GLUTTONFORLIFE | MAKES ABOUT 2 DOZEN CROSTINI

A&M: “An old boyfriend, obsessed with all things Italian, taught me to make this deliciously intense spread that rivals anything your Jewish grandmother served,” said gluttonforlife. Her Tuscan Chicken Liver Pâté is a rich dose of umami spread on grilled country bread. Unlike typical French versions, this Italian-inspired pâté gets its seasoning from anchovy, capers, and Parmesan—giving it a well-rounded, nuanced salting—in addition to aromatic sage, shallot, and garlic. And cooking the wine down in two stages helps draw in every bit of flavor from the deep brown chicken liver sauce.

    1 pound organic chicken livers

    2 tablespoons unsalted butter

    2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

    2 large shallots, thinly sliced

    1 large garlic clove, smashed

    3 anchovy fillets (or 1 tablespoon anchovy paste)

    1 tablespoon capers, minced

    4 to 6 sage leaves

    Salt and freshly ground black pepper

    ²/₃ cup dry white wine

    ½ teaspoon grated lemon zest

    ½ cup grated Parmesan

    Grilled country bread, for serving

1. Trim any sinew from the livers and dry them well with paper towels.
2. In a large skillet, melt the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots, garlic, anchovies, capers, and sage until the shallots are lightly browned, 6 minutes or so.
3. Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper and add them to the pan. Cook over high heat until browned, then add ¹/₃ cup of the wine and keep stirring with a wooden spoon, breaking up the livers as they start to cook through. When the wine is absorbed, add the remaining ¹/₃ cup and repeat the process.
4. Remove from the heat and transfer the mixture to a food processor. Process until quite smooth, then add the lemon zest and Parmesan and process again. Taste and add salt or pepper as needed. Serve warm or at room temperature; spread on grilled country bread.

    TIPS AND TECHNIQUES

    Be sure to dry the livers well, and wear an apron—they spatter and pop like mad when sautéing.

        For a looser, more mousselike spread, we recommend that you don’t let all of the liquid evaporate from the pan, but you can always adjust the consistency as you buzz it in the food processor by drizzling in olive oil, water, or even wine (depending on how unctuous or boozy you like your pâté).

        Gluttonforlife added: “Serve this with traditionally thin crostini or thicker grilled country bread, and maybe even a garnish of fried sage leaves.”

    ABOUT THE COOK

    Laura Chávez Silverman is a writer and blogger living in Eldred, New York.

        Her favorite recipe from a cookbook: “Green Wrapped Flavor Bundles from Hot Sour Salty Sweet by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid.”

        Here’s her blog: Glutton for Life (www.gluttonforlife.com).

    WHAT THE COMMUNITY SAID

    humblecook: “I made this last night and it was so sensational my husband and I sat down and ate it warm straight from the food processor. This is a fabulous recipe, so simple, yet such rich flavors—thank you for sharing it.”

        thirschfeld: “Just finished making this and I am eating it for breakfast right now. I am afraid I won’t be able to stop. This is going to the top of my liver pâté list.”