Goose Liver Pate

Jerad came home from hunting early last week with a bag full of goose livers.  It’s not as shocking to me as it used to be, since we’ve eaten fresh goose and duck livers a lot lately.  In fact, liver has become our favorite part of those wild birds to eat.  While Jerad’s a fan of simply frying or sauteing the livers, I prefer making a rich pate with them.

Wild goose & duck liver has a more “meaty” flavor that is not as–well–livery as I find chicken liver to be, especially after you soak it in alcohol, saute it with onions, and puree it with butter.  Even non-liver eaters will like this! 

The Ultimate Pate

adapted from Tyler’s Ultimate

1 pound FRESH goose, duck, or chicken livers, trimed of any membranes or fat

6 tablespoons sherry or port wine

14 tablespoons (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

1 teaspoon chooped fresh thyme leaves, plus 1 nice-looking sprig for garnish

1/4 cup heavy cream

Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper

• Rinse the livers and pat them dry. Put them in a small bowl, pour the sherry or wine over them, cover & refrigerated for 2 hours.
• Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet. Add the shallots, garlic, & chopped thyme and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until softened but not brown (3-4 minutes).
• Add the livers, reserving the soaking liquid, and cook without browning until the livers just change color (3-4 minutes). (Browning would toughen the exterior of the livers & the pate would not be smooth.)
• Add the reserved liquid to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Put all of that in a blender and puree until smooth. Add 3 more tablespoons of butter and process again until smooth. Now pour in the cream and pulse just until incorporated. Season with salt & pepper. (Note: Don’t be alarmed if it looks & smells horrid. It’s much better once it’s cooled!)
• Spoon the mixture into a 3-cup terrine or dish and smooth the surface. Refrigerated for 1 hour or until the pate just firms up.
• Then, melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter (1 stick) and pour it over the top of the pate to cover completely (this will seal the top & keep from discoloring). Press the thyme sprig into the butter and chill overnight (or up to a week).
• Serve with toasted baguette slices, red grapes, caramelized onions, & gherkins.

Thanks to Steph for taking such great pics!