Pate Diana
Submitted by timjc1965
Pate Diana, a silky French-style chicken liver pate with sauteed apples, shallots, and apple wine or brandy, sealed in clarified butter. Elegant make-ahead appetizer that keeps a week chilled.
YIELD
10 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
20 minREADY
40 minChicken liver pate gets a fruity twist here from sauteed apples and a splash of apple wine or brandy. The combination is genius: apples balance the iron-rich liver, and the brandy flames off any sharp gaminess. The finished pate is smooth, silky, and faintly sweet with a savory depth that begs for crisp toast and cornichons.
Undercook the livers slightly. The recipe specifies “browned outside and pink inside” because the residual heat keeps them tender as they cool and blend. Fully cooked livers turn grainy and chalky in pate; pink centers stay creamy.
Straining through a medium-fine sieve is the step most home cooks skip and shouldn’t. The strainer catches stringy bits and tough membrane that no blender can break down. This single move transforms gritty pate into restaurant-silky texture.
Cooling the liver mixture completely before adding the softened butter is crucial. Warm liver melts the butter and the pate ends up oily and broken. Cool until the mixture is room temperature or slightly below, then beat the butter in gradually for an emulsified, voluptuous texture.
The clarified butter seal on top is functional, not decorative. It blocks air contact and prevents the pate from oxidizing (turning brown and developing off-flavors) during refrigerated storage. The seal lets you make this a week before company.
Pro Tips
- Soak the chicken livers in milk for 30 minutes before cooking; mellows the iron flavor.
- Use Calvados or apple brandy for the most authentic flavor; regular brandy works too.
- Run a knife through the pate to remove any air pockets before sealing with clarified butter.
- Serve at cool room temperature for the smoothest texture; cold pate is firmer and slightly muted.
Variations
- Add a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves with the apples for herbal depth.
- Stir in a tablespoon of green peppercorns just before pouring into the crock.
- Garnish the sealed top with a bay leaf and pink peppercorns for visual elegance.
Ingredients
Directions
Soften 10 tablespoons butter and set aside.
Melt 3 of remaining tablespoons butter in skillet.
Add onions and shallots.
Cook until tender, stirring, about 5 minutes.
Add chopped apples and cook until tender, about 3 minutes.
Place apple mixture in blender.
Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in skillet.
Add chicken livers and stir 3 to 4 minutes until livers are browned outside and pink inside.
Add wine and cook and stir 2 minutes longer.
Transfer liver mixture to blender with apple mixture.
Add 2 tablespoons cream and blend at high speed until smooth.
Add more cream, if necessary, to make mixture smooth.
Press through medium-fine strainer into mixing bowl.
Cool thoroughly, stirring once or twice.
(Pate will become oily if not completely cooled.)
In another bowl, cream 10 tablespoons softened butter with electric mixer and add liver mixture, a little at a time, beating well after each addition.
Stir in lemon juice, salt and pepper.
Pour pate into crock or ramekins, smoothing top with spatula.
Pour enough clarified butter over top to form seal.
Store in refrigerator up to 1 week or freeze, in appropriate containers, if desired.
Serve chilled and garnished with apple slices, if desired.
Comments
Sounds fantastic. Great instructions and will try.