Everyday Paté.
Everyday Paté is inspired by a red sauce place in South Glens Falls, NY called Massie’s. Their Italian entrees came with a pasta side, a cup of minestrone and a “relish plate” including celery and carrot sticks, mild pickled cherry peppers and a small tub of paté. Times have changed and the relish plate is gone but this recipe captures the essence of that paté… nothing fancy but a flavor pleasure spread on crackers or maybe some crusty Italian bread. Makes maybe 1 ½ lb total, plenty to share as I did at a New Years Eve potluck.
Ingredients:
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
1 tart apple, peeled, cored and quartered
3 T unsalted butter
1 lb chicken livers, picked through to remove connective tissue (those yellow bits)
5 T unsalted butter
¼ c brandy
2 T heavy cream
1 ½ t Kosher salt
1 t lemon juice
¼ t ground black pepper
2 T or more additional butter which has been softened and separated into small pieces*
Method: pulse the onion and apple in a food processor (which is mandatory for this recipe) until chopped medium-fine. Sauté with 3 T butter at medium heat until the onion and apples are just starting to brown, about 7 minutes. Return the apples and onion to the food processor; add 5 T butter and chicken livers to the sauté pan. Sauté until chicken livers are browned all over but still pink inside, about 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add brandy to pan and flambée, shaking pan so the flaming liquid is evenly distributed and continuing to shake and turn pan till the flames go out.
A rare 2014 Yelp photo of Massie’s actual pate, served on a crostini it looks like.
Cool the livers somewhat (so the cream won’t curdle) and return to food processor along with cream, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Process till sooth; adding softened butter in a couple of batches*.
Transfer the pate to a small loaf plan which has been lined with plastic wrap; smooth surface with a spatula. Chill until firm, at least 3 hours, and serve with crackers or crusty bread.
*The original recipe, from this source, called for an additional 8 T butter which is far too much.
YUM!!!