2tablespoonsfresh sage, snipped OR 1 tablespoon dried sage
½cupbrandy, cognac, or sherry
8oz(1 cup) regular butter, at room temperature
salt and pepper to taste
fresh sage leaves, to garnish
Instructions
Cook the liver and shallots. Heat the clarified butter in a skillet until melted. Add the diced shallots and sauté until just starting to brown. Rinse chicken livers gently to remove any excess blood, then shake off all excess liquid and add them to the pan. Simmer until livers are browned through, the liquid has largely cooked away, and the livers begin to fall apart.
Season the liver mixture. Add the garlic and sage and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, then deglaze the pan with brandy. Continue to cook until brandy has nearly completely evaporated. Remove the mixture from the heat and allow it to cool.
Grind the mixture into a smooth paste. Cut the regular butter into pieces. Scrape the liver mixture into a food processor and add the butter. Process until smooth.
Chill and serve. Place pâté in a serving bowl or mold and set in the fridge for a few hours or overnight, but bring to room temperature prior to serving. Serve with sourdough toasts or whole grain crackers. (Or just eat it straight off the spoon, as my one-year-old does with great gusto…)
Notes
Variation
Duck Liver Pâté with Herbes de Provence: This lovely smooth pâté can also be made by substituting an equal amount of duck livers using either duck fat or clarified butter for the sauté, and replacing the sage with 1 1/2 teaspoons dried herbes de provence.See how to clarify butter here. (https://nourishingjoy.com/how-to-make-ghee-clarified-butter/)