By Daniel Gritzer Culinary Director From Serious Eats

All-American ingredients like bourbon, apple cider, and cranberries are the stars of this holiday pâté. [Photographs: Vicky Wasik]

I read somewhere recently that pâté had gone out of style. That bothered me, because, as is often the case with superficial food trends, it makes no sense that an incredibly delicious food with a deep history can be declared a has-been just because there isn’t a media frenzy around it right now. In protest, I’m pushing back. Pâté is here, and it’s here to stay!

That said, I can understand why most of us don’t make it too often at home. The fact is, it’s rich, which means it’s more practical to buy a small slice than to attempt to eat your way through an entire homemade terrine. But that’s also exactly why a homemade pâté is such perfect holiday food—it’s indulgent, special-occasion stuff, and with groups of people coming together for large meals, it’s unlikely any of it will go to waste.

I created this particular pâté last year and brought it as a contribution to my family’s Thanksgiving meal. Instead of using the more traditional liquors like cognac or Madeira, I reached for bourbon and a bit of apple cider instead, to play up the American spirit of the holiday. And on top, in place of a classic aspic, I made a gelée from cranberry juice, which goes so well with all those other flavors. It was such a hit that it’s been requested again this year, so I decided to perfect the recipe and share it here as well.

The method itself is very classic. I start by searing the livers over high heat until just browned on the outside but still pink in the middle. It’s critically important that you don’t overcook the livers, since well-done ones will produce a very grainy pâté. Some recipes have you deglaze the pan with liquor while the livers are still in it, but I find that this comes with too high of a risk of overcooking them. Instead, I take the livers out as soon as they’re done, then quickly sauté minced shallots and some thyme, and finish by deglazing with the bourbon and cider—all with no worry of the livers spending too much time in the pan.

Once that’s all set, I transfer everything to a food processor with some butter and turn it into a smooth puree. The last step—pushing the pâté through a fine mesh strainer—is admittedly a little tedious, but I swear it’s worth it for the extra silky texture you’ll get.

Once the pâté is ready, I transfer it to a large ramekin or terrine and smooth the surface, then pour the cranberry juice, which has just enough gelatin to set it, on top. The gelée acts as a barrier to air, which prevents the pâté from discoloring and also helps it keep for several days in the refrigerator. Just be sure to give it time to soften a little at room temperate before serving.

I guarantee, no one will eat this and call it sadly passé. Lovely pâté, on the other hand, may be something you hear.

About This Recipe

YIELD:

Makes 1 terrine

ACTIVE TIME:

30 minutes

TOTAL TIME:

45 minutes plus overnight chilling

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:

1 1/2-quart ramekin or pâté terrine; fine mesh strainer; food processor

THIS RECIPE APPEARS IN:

Try This Thanksgiving-Inspired Chicken Liver Pâté With Bourbon and Cranberry

Ingredients

1/2 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 cup unsweetened cranberry juice (see note above)

2 tablespoons sugar

2 pounds chicken livers, trimmed of sinew and fat

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 shallots, minced

1/2 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves

2 ounces bourbon or American whiskey

2 ounces apple cider

1 1/2 sticks (12 tablespoons) unsalted butter

Procedures

1 In a glass measuring cup, sprinkle gelatin on top of cranberry juice and let stand for 15 minutes.

2 Transfer cranberry juice and gelatin to a small saucepan and stir in sugar. Heat over medium-high heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved and juice is simmering. Remove from heat and let cool.

3 Meanwhile, pat livers dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large skillet until smoking. Cook half of the livers, turning, until browned on both sides and pink in the middle, about 4 minutes. Transfer livers to the bowl of a food processor. Add 1 more tablespoon oil, heat until smoking and repeat with remaining livers.

4 Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet, add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring until softened, about 2 minutes. Add bourbon and cook, scraping up browned bits from bottom of skillet, until almost evaporated (you can flame the bourbon, but use caution as flames can leap high from the skillet). Add cider and cook until slightly reduced. Scrape shallots and any remaining liquid into food-processor bowl with livers.

5 Add butter and process, stopping to scrape down sides, until a smooth puree forms.

6 Set a fine mesh strainer over a large mixing bowl and, using a wooden spoon or ladle, press and plunge liver puree through it. Season liver puree with salt and pepper and scrape into a large ramekin or terrine, tapping against counter to remove air pockets. Smooth surface, then gently pour cooled cranberry juice on top. Cover with plastic and refrigerate overnight until cranberry juice sets. Pâté can be refrigerated for up to 5 days before serving.

 

Daniel Gritzer – Culinary Director. In his restaurant days, he cooked at some of New York’s top American, Italian and French kitchens – starting at the age of 13, when he began staging at the legendary restaurant Chanterelle. After college he spent nearly a year working on organic farms in Italy, where he tended to livestock, harvested wine grapes, and planted an olive orchard and a vineyard. Five years later, he returned to Europe, this time harvesting almonds and Padron peppers in Spain, shepherding a flock of more than 200 sheep in Italy, and making charcuterie in France. When not working on, thinking about, cooking and eating food, he blows off steam (and calories) as an instructor of capoeira, the afro-brazilian martial art.

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