12 servings
PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOKING TIME
10 minutes
12 slices white bread, toasted and cut into halves, for serving
1 medium Asian pear, sliced thinly, for serving
Pâté can be blasé. But never with this recipe. Start with the best chicken liver mousse you can find, then add accompaniments that riff on the traditional flavors. There’s the pome fruit—in this case pear rather than apple. The sweetness of the jam is laced with the sharp kick of bird’s-eye chiles, which is instantly countered by the fat of the liver.
Spread the pâté on the toast halves and top with Asian pear slices and Bird’s-Eye Chile Jam.
1 pound chicken livers
2 cups whole milk
1 cup Bordeaux wine
1 cup port or Madeira wine
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
½ cup Caramelized Onions
1½ teaspoons kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
½ cup heavy cream, or more if needed
Rinse the chicken livers under cold running water and place in a 2-quart container. Pour the milk over the livers, then cover and refrigerate overnight. Drain the chicken livers and pat dry.
Combine the wine in a 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium heat until it is reduced to ½ cup and has a syrupy consistency, 30 to 40 minutes. Set aside.
Preheat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan and when the foaming subsides add the chicken livers. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the garlic, Caramelized Onions, salt, pepper to taste, and the reduced wine. Cook until the livers are firm, plump, and still slightly pink on the inside, about 2 minutes longer.
Remove the pan from the stove and put its contents in a blender or food processor. While blending the liver, slowly add the cream and the remaining cubed butter. Puree until smooth and creamy, adding a little more cream if necessary. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
CHEF JJ’S KITCHEN TIPS
It is important to blend the livers while still quite hot to ensure that the butter and cream get properly incorporated.
Makes 1 cup
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound Spanish onions, halved and sliced thinly into half moons
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
In a large cast-iron pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onions and salt and pepper and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions begin to soften, about 5 minutes.
Stir in the thyme and cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan frequently, until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
CHEF JJ’S KITCHEN TIPS
Make a big batch of caramelized onions all at once and refrigerate in an airtight container to use in other recipes throughout the week. Or freeze them in single servings to use for the month.
You can use extra caramelized onions on top of home fries or mix them into a fried rice or a stewed chicken dish.
