There is a certain thrill I get from harvesting and cooking with the herbs that I have planted. As I was browsing through my recipes, I came across one called Rustic Chicken Liver Pate. Pate is a food of French origin, however, this recipe had ingredients that I would associate more with Italian cooking. I couldn't remember if I had made this pate before or not, but when I saw it called for fresh sage and thyme, along with garlic, pancetta and balsamic vinegar, I couldn't resist making it. If there was ever an hors d'oeurve I love to serve with cheese or all on its own, it would be pate, particularly a homemade one.
Not knowing whether this pate was going to be as 'incredibly delicious' as described by the person sharing it, I decided to take the risk and make it in spite of the long ingredient list. This was one risk I was glad I took as I completely agree with the 'incredibly delicious' opinion. All of the flavors from the ingredients give this pate an amazing complexity and depth of flavor.
The livers are marinated in the brandy, two cloves of minced garlic and the bay leaves for at least two hours. I decided to replace the brandy with cognac as I didn't have any brandy in the house. This substitution worked well. You can choose the two hour room temperature chicken liver marinating option or the up to 8 hours in the refrigerator option. Because I was doing errands this morning and didn't know if I would be back at the house in two hours, I marinated them the refrigerator for four hours. Not sure it needed to be marinated any longer than that as the liver absorbed the cognac flavor. After the chicken livers are marinated, you remove them, discard the garlic and bay leaves and pat them dry.
In a large, heavy skillet the minced red onion, sliced garlic and coarsely chopped pancetta are sauteed in two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil until the onions and garlic are softened. The cooking time on this was about eight minutes. You then add two teaspoons of tomato paste and cook for approximately one minute. I like using the tomato paste in the tube for recipes that call for small amounts. There is nothing worse than having to open a can of tomato paste when you only need a few teaspoons or tablespoons.
The chicken livers and balsamic vinegar are then added. The balsamic vinegar picks up the bits of onion and garlic that may have caramelized in the pan. The vinegar will evaporate after cooking the chicken livers for a few minutes followed by adding the half cup of port. The port will also somewhat evaporate in the three to five minutes it takes to get the livers cooked until they are light pink within. This entire mixture is then placed in the food processor where it will cool while you are reducing the cream.
Using the same skillet, the chopped sage and thyme along with one cup of heavy whipping cream are cooked until the cream is reduced in half. Stirring frequently, the cooking time for this reduction is about eight minutes. When reduced it is added to the food processor.
The livers and cream are then pureed to a smooth consistency. The original recipe called for pressing the mixture through a fine sieve set over a large bowl but I didn't think this was necessary as I liked the 'rustic' consistency of the pate. If you were going for a more mousse like texture in the pate, then by all means put it through the fine sieve.
Rustic Chicken Liver Pate (slight adaption of recipe created by Tommy Habetz from Portland, original recipe appeared in Food and Wine)
Ingredients
1 pound chicken livers
1/4 cup brandy or cognac (I used Courvoisier)
2 bay leaves
4 garlic cloves (2 minced and 2 sliced)
1 medium red onion, minced
2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, coarsely chopped
1 anchovy (chopped)
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup port (can use madeira or sweet vermouth)
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon fresh thyme chopped
1 teaspoon fresh sage chopped
1 to 2 baguettes (sliced)
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the livers, brandy or cognac, bay leaves and 2 garlic cloves minced). Let marinate at room temperature for 2 hours or refrigerate up to 8 hours.
2. Drain livers, pat dry and discard the bay leaves and garlic. Set aside.
3. In large, deep heavy skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the minced onion, chopped pancetta, chopped anchovy and sliced garlic. Cook over moderately high heat, stirring often, until the onion and garlic are softened (about 8 minutes).
4. Add tomato paste and stir for 1 minute.
5. Add chicken livers and balsamic vinegar. Cook until vinegar is nearly evaporated.
6. Add the port and cook until nearly evaporated and livers are just pink within (about 3 to 5 minutes).
7. Scrape mixture into food processor. Cool slightly.
8. Add cream, thyme and sage to the skillet and cook over moderately high heat, stirring until the cream is reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 minutes).
9. Pour cream into the food processor and puree.
10. Season with Kosher salt and pepper (should taste very well seasoned).
11. Pour puree into a terrine or other serving dish (at least a 2 cup capacity). Refrigerate until chilled and firm.
12. Serve with dark rye bread, plain/toasted/grilled baguette slices or crackers.
As much as I have a tendency to go on about the incredible availability of fresh seafood out on the east coast, there is another food 'made' out here that rivals anything I have ever tasted in the midwest. And that would be the ice cream. I don't know if the cows are fed something different, but seriously the ice cream out here is wicked good. From the ice cream made fresh from creameries that have been around for a hundred years to the other small batch ice creams sold only in pints, I can think of no better indulgence than a scoop of ice cream in a waffle cone or just eaten right out of the container (this is significant for someone ranking eating out of the ice cream container as high on the list of her pet peeves).
During the blizzard this winter when the power was lost for almost three days, I think I was more upset about losing the three pints of coconut ice cream I had in the freezer (purchased from from one of my favorite ice cream stands, one that closes after Columbus Day and doesn't reopen until Memorial Day) than I was about having to keep a fire going 18 hours a day. On my list of reasons why I need to have a generator for this farmhouse are: need to be able to take hot showers, need to be able to cook, and need to be able to keep the freezer from thawing the ice cream. This obsession with ice cream is a relatively new one as I think prior to moving out here I might have had ice cream three or four times a year (versus the weekly indulgence I allow myself). I love being spoiled (no reason to be in denial or not forthcoming here) and happily I am seriously spoiled by the ice cream out here.