So quick and easy to make. And oh so tasty! We’re sure we’re not the only ones out there who love a good homemade chicken liver pate recipe.
And, it’s gaining popularity in Turkish homes, too.
Tavuk ciğeri ezmesi is an increasingly common recipe on Turkish language food blogs.
A Comforting Presence
There’s something comforting about chicken liver pate. Maybe it’s because we’ve grown up with it.
Whichever pub restaurant we went to in the ’80s and ’90s, pate was guaranteed to be there on the menu as one of the starter options.
A familiar presence.
This pate is a constant for us throughout that time of year – the festive season.
But certainly not solely reserved for Christmas munchies.
No. Just like our homemade smoked trout pate, chicken liver pate with brandy makes an appearance on our menu throughout the year, whatever the weather.
A great recipe that doesn’t take much time.
This chicken liver pate recipe is another dish that is Barry’s domain. And the recipe has been tweaked over the years.
A Simple Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
It’s now stripped right back to essential ingredients.
It makes for a wonderfully light and smooth pate that is almost a velvety mousse rather than a coarse pate.
Gone are the onions and chopped herbs.
We’re savouring the flavour and texture of the chicken livers. With a little help from local village butter, a splash of brandy and just a hint of warm spicy flavours.
No Scrimping
And once it’s made, we love it spread very generously on lightly toasted bread. Or with thick wedges of crusty fresh bread.
Well, we know there’s no shortage of that type of bread in Turkey.
How To Make Chicken Liver Pate
Usually, at this stage of writing our recipe articles, we go through the various stages of how to make the dish.
Just A Few Ingredients
But for this pate recipe, there really isn’t so much to do. It’s one of the easiest things to make.
That warm spicy flavour is going to come from some ground allspice and clove. Just a hint; not too much.
This will be mixed with our chicken livers, salt, pepper and brandy.
And the whole thing will go into a preheated hot oven for just a few minutes.
Short Cooking Time
It might not seem like a long time – 5 to 6 minutes – but the last thing you want is overcooked chicken livers.
That would spoil both the flavour and the texture of your pate.
Whilst the chicken livers are cooking, you can melt your butter in a pan.
And then everything will go into the food processor to be mixed to a smooth pate.
Divide Your Pate
Once everything is light and smooth, you can spoon the pate into your ramekin dishes and leave to cool.
We like to leave one to one side to eat straight away and the others can go into the fridge.
To protect your pate and prevent it from going off in the fridge, melt more butter and pour this over the top of your pate pots.
This will make a seal for your pate.
Chicken Liver Pate – Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, let’s deal with the eating first!
For us, one of the main ways to enjoy chicken liver pate is spread onto slices of hot buttered toast; especially bazlama bread or the traditional nice crusty bread so popular in Turkey.
Depending on mood, we can skip the butter and go sweet by spooning fig or blackberry jam over the top.
A dollop of homemade chutney is also a good idea.
Pickled jalapenos are also a tasty accompaniment for chicken liver pate.
And if we want a bit more spice than our chutney offers, we love turşu as a topping, too. Especially pickled chillies!
If you pour melted butter over the top of the pate, it will last up to four weeks in the fridge.
The pate goes a long way, so a great way to make it last longer is to divide it between individual ramekins or other small bowls. This means you can leave some sealed with the butter whilst you’re eating one of the other ones.
Without the butter, you can keep it for up to one week if it is tightly sealed with plastic wrap such as cling film. However, we usually eat ours within three days.
Great news! Yes you can. You can freeze your pate for up to 12 weeks. Just make sure you use an airtight freezer-safe container.
When you want to serve it, allow it to defrost in the fridge for a few hours and then, if you are having a dinner party, for example, remove from the fridge and bring to room temperature before you serve.
The length of time your pate takes to defrost will depend on the size of your pate pot.
Brandy makes for a richer pate.
If you don’t want to make your pate with a little brandy or whisky, that’s perfectly fine.
We’d recommend adding a bit of chopped fried onion to the recipe for flavour and creaminess if you aren’t using alcohol.
It’s also worth noting that, without the brandy, it won’t keep as long in the fridge.
As we said above, you only need to cook your fresh chicken livers for a short time. If possible, use best quality free-range chicken livers.
If the cooked livers brown all the way through, they are overcooked and this will make your pate taste bitter.
They will take on a grainy texture rather than that of a smooth paste and also appear grey.
Your chicken livers should still have a bit of pinkness on the inside without releasing any blood.
No, there are so many more pate recipes out there; not just chicken liver.
Of course, other liver can be used such as pork liver. And not forgetting Christmas or Thanksgiving – make a turkey liver pate.
Some pate is a smooth pate whilst others have a coarser texture.
Pate can also be made from seafood, vegetables and other types of meat.
Our Easy Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
Let’s make our rich and tasty pate…
Quick & Easy Chicken Liver Pate Recipe
Equipment
- food processor
- Ramekin bowls or small jars
Ingredients
For The Chicken Liver Pate
- 400 grams chicken livers (hearts removed)
- 150 grams butter (melted)
- 50 millilitres brandy
- 2 balls allspice (crushed)
- 1 clove (crushed)
- salt & pepper (to season)
For Your Pate Pots
- 100 grams butter
- 1 clove garlic (peeled & grated )
Instructions
For The Chicken Liver Pate
- First of all, preheat your oven to 220 degrees Celsius.
- Rub the spices and seasoning into your chicken livers. Then add to your oven tray along with the brandy.
- Stir them all around and then place into the oven on a middle-high shelf for no longer than 5-6 minutes.
- Meanwhile, gently melt your butter on the hob.
- After 5 or 6 minutes, remove the chicken livers and brandy from the oven. Add to the food processor along with your melted butter.
- Mix the chicken liver pate ingredients together until you have a smooth, light texture.
- Now add your chicken liver pate to your ramekin bowls.
For The Chicken Liver Pate Seal
- Add the garlic (optional) and butter to a small pan. Gently melt the butter.
- Pour the butter mixture over your pate bowls to cover the top layer. This will make a seal (and dome extra flavour, later) so that your pate will keep for longer in the fridge.
Notes
- As with all of our recipes, the calories count per serving of chicken liver pate is approximate and meant as a general guide.
- If you are serving your chicken liver pate on the same day, after chilling, you won’t need the butter sealant.
- Whilst 5-6 minutes might not seem like a long time to leave your chicken livers in the oven, don’t be tempted to leave them in for longer. Overcooked chicken livers will give you a grainy, grey pate.
- If you want to do batch cooking, you can freeze your chicken liver pate to eat at a later date.
Nutrition
And that’s how we make chicken liver pate.
Chicken Liver Pate Recipe – Afternotes
- We love this pate just as it is. If you want a hint of garlic, however, you can add some to the butter that you are melting to make the seal.
- Chicken livers are really versatile. If you love the flavour of them, try our warm salad of fried chicken livers with black-eyed beans.
- Whilst we do have a diet that leans heavily towards Turkish cuisine, we do enjoy lots of other foods, too. So, you can find our chicken liver pate recipe in our collection of international recipes.
- And if you want to try some dishes from the Turkish kitchen, here’s our ever growing list of Turkish recipes.