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Winter Pick: Snacks

Chicken Liver Pâté with Cucumber Rounds

A silky chicken liver pâté with butter, shallot, thyme, and a little cream, sealed under butter and spread on crisp cucumber rounds.

Why you'll love Chicken Liver Pâté with Cucumber Rounds

Chicken liver pâté is one of the great holiday spreads, and it is far simpler to make than it looks. Livers cook briefly in butter with shallot, garlic, and thyme, then blend with more butter and a spoonful of cream into something smooth, rich, and deeply savory. Spread on cool, crisp rounds of cucumber, it makes a snack or a party plate through the whole season, from the December holidays to the gray weeks after.

The livers are cooked all the way through, to 165°F, the safe temperature for poultry. Cooking them over medium heat, turning once, gets them there without letting the outsides turn grainy, and blending them while they are still warm with soft butter is what makes the pâté silky. Warm livers and butter emulsify into one smooth mass, and pressing the purée through a sieve takes it from smooth to velvety.

A thin layer of melted butter poured over the top sets as it chills and seals the pâté from the air, which keeps its color rosy and its flavor fresh for days. A spoonful of pâté on a few cucumber rounds is protein and real fat in a couple of bites, enough to carry you from lunch to dinner.

Quick overview: This Chicken Liver Pâté with Cucumber Rounds takes 15 min of hands-on time and about 4 hr 25 min in all and makes 8 servings, each about 3 tbsp pâté with cucumber rounds. You'll need a skillet, a food processor, and a fine sieve.

Jump to recipe

Chicken liver pâté on cucumber rounds beside a butter-sealed jar
Prep 15 minCook 10 minChill 4 hrTotal 4 hr 25 minServes 8Serving about 3 tbsp pâté with cucumber roundsYou'll need Skillet, Food processor, Fine sieve

Ingredients

  • 1 lb fresh chicken livers
  • 10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) butter, divided, 6 tbsp of it softened
  • 2 medium shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves, plus a few small sprigs to finish
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • a small pinch of ground allspice
  • 2 tbsp heavy cream Label: cream, with no gums or carrageenan
  • 1 tsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 English cucumbers, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped chives

Instructions

  1. Trim the livers: Rinse the livers, pat them very dry, and cut away any connective tissue and any green spots, which taste bitter. Cut large lobes in half so all the pieces are about the same size and cook evenly.
  2. Soften the shallot: Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3 minutes, until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and thyme and stir for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
  3. Cook the livers: Push the shallots to the side, add the livers in one layer, and season them with the salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes, until browned underneath, then turn them and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more, until they are firm, cooked through, and reach 165°F (74°C) in the center of the thickest piece. Medium heat cooks them through gently, so they stay tender.
  4. Deglaze: Add the sherry vinegar and the cream and scrape up the browned bits from the skillet for 30 seconds. Take the pan off the heat.
  5. Blend while warm: Scrape everything from the skillet into a food processor, add the allspice and 6 tablespoons of the softened butter, and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down the sides, until completely smooth. The warmth of the livers melts the butter just enough to blend into a silky emulsion.
  6. Sieve for silkiness: For the smoothest pâté, press the purée through a fine sieve with a flexible spatula into a bowl. Taste for salt, then spoon it into two small jars or ramekins and smooth the tops.
  7. Seal and chill: Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and pour a thin layer over each pâté, tilting to cover the surface. Lay a thyme sprig on top. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, until firm. The butter seal keeps air off the surface so the pâté stays rosy.
  8. Serve: Let the pâté sit at room temperature for 15 minutes so it spreads easily. Spread it on the cucumber rounds, or set the jar out with the cucumber alongside, and finish with chives and a little more pepper.

Storage and leftovers

Keep the pâté refrigerated under its butter seal for up to 4 days. Once you break the seal, press plastic wrap against the surface and eat it within 2 days.

Freeze the sealed pâté, wrapped well, for up to 1 month, and thaw it overnight in the refrigerator. Slice the cucumber fresh when you serve, since it weeps once cut.

Variations

  • Apple and sage: Cook 1/2 small apple, peeled and diced, with the shallots and use sage in place of the thyme.
  • Orange zest: Blend in 1/2 teaspoon of finely grated orange zest for a brighter pâté that suits the holidays.
  • Duck fat: Use duck fat with a label of duck fat and nothing else in place of the butter for cooking the shallots and livers.
  • Endive: Serve the pâté on Belgian endive leaves or radish slices in place of the cucumber.

Notes and tips

  • Buy fresh livers: Look for livers that are glossy and deep reddish brown, with a clean smell. Most butchers and many grocery meat counters carry them, often in small tubs.
  • Check the temperature: An instant-read thermometer in the thickest lobe is the surest way to know the livers have reached 165°F (74°C). Cooked through, they may keep a faint blush at the center.
  • Use soft butter: Butter that is soft but still cool blends smoothly into the warm livers. Melted butter can make the pâté separate.
  • Make it for a party: The recipe doubles easily, and it is best made a day ahead, which frees up the day of the gathering.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Chicken liver is one of the most nutrient-dense foods there is, carrying protein, iron in the form your body absorbs most easily, vitamin B12, folate, and a great deal of vitamin A.
  • Butter and cream are the real fat here, and the fat is what turns the livers into a silky spread and helps your body take up the fat-soluble vitamin A.
  • Cucumber rounds are crisp, cool, and mostly water, a light, fresh base for a rich spread.
  • Because it is so rich, a few spoonfuls are satisfying, which makes pâté an easy snack to enjoy slowly.
  • As you eat, notice how rich and savory a small amount tastes against the cool cucumber, and how quickly you feel satisfied, and check in later: a few rounds should carry you comfortably to your next meal with steady energy.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Chicken Liver Pâté with Cucumber Rounds? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Does chicken liver pâté need to be cooked through?

Yes. Chicken livers should reach 165°F (74°C), the safe temperature for poultry, and undercooked chicken liver has been linked to foodborne illness. Cooked to that temperature they stay smooth and rich once blended.

Is liver safe during pregnancy?

Liver is very high in preformed vitamin A, and too much of it early in pregnancy can affect how the baby develops. If you are pregnant or trying to become pregnant, talk with your doctor or dietitian before eating liver or pâté.

Why is my pâté grainy?

Overcooking the livers over high heat makes them grainy, and so does blending them cold. Cook them over medium heat, blend them while warm, and press the purée through a sieve.

Why did the top turn gray?

Air darkens the surface of pâté. The butter seal prevents it, and if a little gray shows, it is only the surface and the pâté underneath is fine to eat within its storage time.

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Tags: Winter Pick, Snacks, French