Ina Garten’s Silky Chicken Liver Pâté Recipe: A Perfect Appetizer

Chicken liver pate transforms humble ingredients into an elegant delicacy that surprises and delights culinary enthusiasts.

Rich, velvety textures emerge when carefully selected components blend together in harmonious proportions.

Sophisticated palates recognize this classic French-inspired appetizer as a testament to refined cooking techniques.

Delicate nuances of flavor dance across your taste buds, revealing complex undertones that tantalize and intrigue.

Smooth, decadent spreads like these showcase fundamental culinary skills with remarkable simplicity.

Mastering this technique opens doorways to impressive entertaining and sophisticated meal presentations: Prepare to elevate your appetizer game.

Why Chicken Liver Pâté Is a Bold Classic

• Savor Rich Flavor Layers: This chicken liver pâté delivers incredible depth with perfectly balanced ingredients like garlic, onion, and Cognac that create a luxurious taste experience that feels restaurant-worthy yet simple to prepare.
• Master Quick Gourmet Technique: The recipe transforms humble chicken livers into an elegant spread using minimal steps, requiring just one saucepan and food processor, making sophisticated cooking accessible for home chefs with basic kitchen skills.
• Enjoy Versatile Entertaining Dish: Perfect for sophisticated appetizers, cocktail parties, or elegant brunches, this pâté can be prepared ahead of time and stored chilled, allowing hosts to relax and impress guests with minimal last-minute preparation.
• Achieve Silky Smooth Texture: By gently cooking the livers and processing them with butter and Cognac, the recipe creates an incredibly creamy, velvety spread that melts beautifully on crackers or crusty bread, offering a luxurious mouthfeel that elevates any gathering.

What Goes Into Ina’s Chicken Liver Pâté

• Chicken Livers: Fresh and tender livers with rich flavor, key to creating smooth and classic French-style pâté.

• Garlic, Onion: Provide deep, savory base notes and enhance overall complexity of the pâté.
• Bay Leaf, Thyme: Classic herbs that add subtle earthy and herbal undertones to the dish.

• Butter: Adds rich, creamy texture and luxurious mouthfeel to the pâté.
• Cognac: High-quality French brandy that brings sophisticated depth and warmth to the recipe.
• Salt, Black Pepper: Essential seasonings that balance and highlight the liver's natural flavors.
• Water: Helps gently poach and cook the chicken livers with minimal liquid.

Making Chicken Liver Pâté the Elegant Way

Step 1: Gather Flavorful Ingredients

• Chicken livers
• Garlic cloves
• Onion
• Bay leaf
• Fresh thyme
• Salt

In a medium saucepan, combine all ingredients with water.

Step 2: Gently Simmer The Livers

Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer over low heat. Cover and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. The livers should start turning pink inside. Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes.

Step 3: Remove Bay Leaf And Prepare Base

Discard the bay leaf. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the cooked livers, onion, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are roughly pureed.

Step 4: Create Creamy Texture

Gradually add butter while the food processor is running, 2 tablespoons at a time. Blend until fully incorporated and smooth.

Step 5: Enhance With Cognac

Add Cognac, additional salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture becomes completely smooth and silky.

Step 6: Chill And Serve

Divide the pate evenly into ramekins. Cover directly with plastic wrap, pressing it against the surface to prevent air exposure. Refrigerate until firm. Serve chilled as an elegant appetizer.

Serving Tip: Accompany with crusty bread or crackers for a delightful spread.

Tips for Creamy and Smooth Pâté Results

• Perfect Liver Prep: Remove all green or discolored spots from chicken livers to guarantee a clean, rich flavor profile.
• Butter Blending Magic: Incorporate softened butter in small batches for an ultra-smooth, silky pate that melts on your tongue.
• Seasoning Sweet Spot: Taste and adjust salt levels carefully, remembering that chilling can slightly mute the initial seasoning.
• Straining Technique: Push the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve for an exceptionally velvety, restaurant-quality texture.
• Storage Pro Tip: Store pate in an airtight container with a thin layer of melted butter on top to preserve freshness and prevent discoloration.

Keeping Pâté Fresh and Flavorful

• Vacuum Seal Method: Remove air completely from storage container using a vacuum sealer. Create an airtight environment that prevents oxidation and freezer burn, extending pate's life dramatically.
• Glass Jar Technique: Transfer pate into clean, sterilized glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Layer a thin protective film of melted clarified butter on top to create an extra seal against air exposure, preserving freshness and flavor intensity.
• Portion Packaging: Divide pate into small individual serving portions before storing. Wrap each portion tightly in plastic wrap, then place inside freezer-safe containers. This approach allows easy thawing of exact amounts needed without compromising entire batch quality.

Chicken Liver Pâté Variations Worth Trying

• Rustic Herb Fusion: Swap thyme with fresh rosemary and add chopped sage for an earthy, woodland-inspired flavor profile that elevates the classic chicken liver pâté.
• Mediterranean Blend: Incorporate roasted red peppers and a splash of sun-dried tomato paste to give the pâté a vibrant, southern European character with rich, deep undertones.
• Spicy Moroccan Style: Mix in ground cumin, smoked paprika, and a touch of harissa paste to transform the pâté into a boldly seasoned, North African-inspired spread that tingles the palate.
• Wild Mushroom Enhancement: Sauté cremini or porcini mushrooms and fold them into the pâté for an umami-rich version that adds depth and earthiness to the classic recipe.

End Notes on Rich and Savory Pâté

Garten’s chicken liver pâté emerges as culinary magic bridging classic French technique with modern kitchen ease.

Rich flavors dance across palate landscapes, promising sophisticated appetizer experiences.

Smooth textures whisper elegant entertaining secrets from professional kitchens.

Complex yet approachable, this recipe transforms simple ingredients into gourmet masterpieces.

Sophisticated home chefs can elevate dinner parties with minimal effort.

Passionate cooking enthusiasts – savor each bite, share this delightful recipe, spark conversation, and inspire fellow culinary adventurers to explore French-inspired delicacies.

Ina Garten Chicken Liver Pate Recipe

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4.9 from 35 reviews

• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 4 1x

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Description

Ina Garten’s chicken liver pate brings French countryside elegance to your table with rich, silky sophistication. Cognac-infused and perfectly seasoned, this luxurious spread promises a memorable appetizer that connects home cooks with classic culinary tradition.

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Ingredients

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Protein:

• ½ pound (226 grams) chicken livers, well-trimmed

Herbs and Spices:

• ¼ teaspoon thyme leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to season
• Freshly ground black pepper

Other Ingredients:

• ½ small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small garlic clove, smashed and peeled
• ½ cup (120 milliliters) water
• 1 ½ sticks (170 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons Cognac or Scotch whisky
• Toasted baguette slices, for serving

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Instructions

1. Combine chicken livers, minced garlic, diced onion, bay leaf, fresh thyme, and salt in a medium saucepan, then pour in water to create a gentle poaching liquid.
2. Simmer the mixture over low heat with a tight-fitting lid, gently stirring occasionally, for approximately 3 minutes until the chicken livers show a slight pink center.
3. Remove the saucepan from heat and let the ingredients steep, covered, for an additional 5 minutes to complete the gentle cooking process.
4. Extract and discard the bay leaf, then transfer the cooked livers, onion, and garlic to a food processor using a slotted spoon.
5. Pulse the ingredients until achieving a rough, uneven puree consistency that maintains some texture.
6. Gradually incorporate softened unsalted butter, at a time, while the food processor continues running to create a smooth emulsion.
7. Stream in the Cognac, then season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper to enhance the flavor profile.
8. Process the mixture until it reaches a completely silky and uniform texture.
9. Evenly distribute the pâté into 2 or 3 large ramekins, ensuring smooth surface distribution.
10. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap to prevent oxidation and refrigerate until the pâté firms up and becomes thoroughly chilled.

Notes

• Slice away tough membranes and visible veins from chicken livers to guarantee silky smooth results.
• Slowly introduce softened butter in small increments during blending for a luxurious, velvety consistency.
• Taste and fine-tune seasonings after processing, ensuring a perfectly balanced flavor profile.
• Refrigerate pate for several hours, allowing textures to stabilize and ingredients to meld together seamlessly.
• Use plastic wrap directly touching the surface to prevent discoloration and preserve fresh taste during chilling.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 10 minutes
• Category: Appetizer, Snacks
• Method: Simmering
• Cuisine: French

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 4
• Calories: 230 kcal
• Sugar: 1 g
• Sodium: 300 mg
• Fat: 22 g
• Saturated Fat: 14 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 8 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 3 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 100 mg