Name: Bourbon Chicken Liver Pâté
Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients: 1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter; 1 cup finely chopped onion; 1 large garlic clove, minced; 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried; 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon dried; 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or ¼ teaspoon dried; ¾ teaspoon salt; ¼ teaspoon black pepper; ⅛ teaspoon ground allspice; 1 pound chicken livers, trimmed; 2 tablespoons bourbon; Accompaniment: crackers or toasted baguette slices; Garnish: a fresh thyme, marjoram, or sage sprig; a 2½-cup crock or terrine or several small ramekins

Gourmet's Bourbon Chicken Liver Pât in a ramekin surrounded by ros gherkins and crackers.

Photo by Isa Zapata, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca, Food Styling by Yekaterina Boystova

This chicken liver pâté recipe from former Gourmet food editor Shelly Wiseman is remarkably simple and comes together in less than 20 minutes. Wiseman’s recipe is fragrant with tons of herbal flavor, thanks to the inclusion of fresh marjoram, thyme, and sage. On top of that, a dash of bourbon provides warm, caramel-like undertones.

This chicken liver pâté can be eaten the day it’s made, but we find it even more flavorful when made one or two days ahead. In fact, it can be prepared up to two weeks in advance. The trick is to make sure the crock you prepare it in is totally sealed with clarified butter. You can also make smaller portions in ramekins, but you may need more butter than what’s called for here to seal the tops.

This pâté recipe is a great way to use up every part of a chicken, and it makes an impressive starter for any dinner party—or just a delicious snack for one or two with a Friday night glass of wine. Add it to your roster of party appetizers, and serve with warm bread or crackers. To take it over the top, sprinkle the pâté with flaky sea salt or a drizzle of floral honey.

Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published in the November 2003 issue of ‘Gourmet’ and first appeared online December 31, 2014.

Cooks' notes:

Pâté can be chilled up to two weeks, but once butter seal has been broken, pâté keeps, its surface covered with plastic wrap and chilled, for one week.

Recipe information

Yield
Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

1½ sticks (¾ cup) unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped onion

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or ¼ teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or ¼ teaspoon dried

1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or ¼ teaspoon dried

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

⅛ teaspoon ground allspice

1 pound chicken livers, trimmed

2 tablespoons bourbon

Accompaniment: crackers or toasted baguette slices

Garnish: a fresh thyme, marjoram, or sage sprig

Special Equipment

a 2½-cup crock or terrine or several small ramekins

Preparation

Step 1
Melt 1 stick butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Purée mixture in a food processor until smooth, then transfer pâté to crock and smooth top.
Step 2
Melt remaining ½ stick butter in a very small heavy saucepan over low heat, then remove pan from heat and let butter stand 3 minutes. If using herb garnish, put sprig on top of pâté. Skim froth from butter, then spoon enough clarified butter over pâté to cover its surface, leaving milky solids in bottom of pan.
Step 3
Chill pâté until butter is firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more.