On every trip to Kinship Butcher & Sundry, our neighborhood butcher shop, we check the fresh case to see if they have jars of their chicken liver pate in stock. We’d love to see if we can make it at home. Possible they’ll share the recipe?
— Jackie Harrison, Atlanta
Myles Moody, chef and co-owner of Kinship Butcher & Sundry, was glad to share the recipe and sent a few suggestions for how to serve the pate. “It is a wonderful and impressive accompaniment to charcuterie boards, but also lovely as an afternoon snack. It’s best served on toast with something sweet, like jam or honey, and something pickled to refresh your palate in between the rich bites.”
At Kinship, they sell the pate in 4-ounce jars and top each jar with a wine gelee to provide that sweet accompaniment. Moody notes that a topping of rendered chicken fat would also be traditional and delicious.
Pureeing the cooked liver mixture in a high-speed blender will result in the smoothest pate. If you are using a standard home blender, consider straining the puree for a smoother result.
Be sure to start the recipe at least a day before you plan to serve the pate.
Kinship Butcher & Sundry’s Chicken Liver Pate
- 2 cups whole milk, divided
- 1 teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
- 1/2 pound chicken livers, trimmed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons canola or other neutral oil
- 1/2 cup sliced shallots
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, divided
- 2 tablespoons port
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 3/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
- Scant 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon Madeira
- Wine Gelee (see recipe), (optional)
- In a medium saucepan, warm 1 cup milk over low heat for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and stir until salt dissolves, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat.
- Put chicken livers in a small glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with salted milk and remaining 1 cup of milk. Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
- The next day, drain livers and discard milk, leaving the livers in the bowl. Rinse under cold running water until the water runs clear. Spread chicken livers in a rimmed baking pan lined with a double layer of paper towels. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
- Remove livers from refrigerator. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place next to cooktop.
- Add oil to a medium skillet and place over high heat. When oil begins to shimmer, working in batches, sear livers until lightly browned, then turn and sear second side, about 4 minutes total. Do not overcook. Livers should be pink inside. Transfer cooked livers to prepared baking sheet. Do not wipe out skillet.
- Reduce heat to medium. Add shallots and 1 tablespoon butter to skillet. Saute shallots until softened, about 5 minutes, then add port and use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Remove from heat, stir in thyme and transfer to a large bowl. Allow to cool to room temperature. When mixture has cooled, add cooked livers.
- In a small bowl, stir together sugar, coriander, ginger and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add to the livers and toss to combine. Transfer liver mixture to the jar of a blender or bowl of a food processor fitted with the S-blade, and process until smooth. Add cream and process again until smooth. Cut remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter into 1/2-inch cubes and add to livers. Pulse until butter is just incorporated.
- Move mixture to a large bowl and stir in Madeira. Transfer mixture to a small ramekin. Cover the ramekin with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.
- If desired, top pate with Wine Gelee. Pate will keep in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Makes 1 1/4 cups.
Per 2-tablespoon serving without Wine Gelee: 121 calories (percent of calories from fat, 66), 6 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, trace fiber, 9 grams total fat (5 grams saturated), 100 milligrams cholesterol, 275 milligrams sodium.
Wine Gelee
A wine gelee provides a sweet counterpoint to the richness of the chicken liver pate.
- 3/4 cup red wine such as pinot noir, grenache or gamay
- 1 packet powdered gelatin
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
- Combine wine and powdered gelatin in a 1-cup measuring cup. Allow to sit 5 minutes, then microwave in 30 second bursts until wine has warmed and gelatin has dissolved, about 1 1/2 minutes.
- Stir in honey and vinegar. Let mixture cool until a little warmer than room temperature, about 80 degrees. Immediately spoon over pate.
- Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate pate until gelee is set, about one hour.
Makes 3/4 cups.
Per tablespoon, gelee only: 16 calories (percent of calories from fat, 0), 1 gram protein, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 2 milligrams sodium.
From the menu of ... Kinship Butcher & Sundry, 1019 Virginia Ave., Atlanta; 404-343-4374, kinshipbutcheratl.com.
Sign up for the AJC Food and Dining Newsletter
Read more stories like this by liking Atlanta Restaurant Scene on Facebook, following @ATLDiningNews on X and @ajcdining on Instagram.
About the Author
Keep Reading
The Latest
Featured
