100 year old pate

1 Servings

Ingredients

Quantity Ingredient
2 pounds Chicken livers
½ pounds Bacon cooked crisp and crumbled
1 cup Chicken stock (preferred) or bouillon
1 large White or yellow onion cut into 8th's
2 Stalks celery with tops cut into sections
¼ Bell pepper
1 Clove garlic peeled & sliced
1 teaspoon Heaping thyme
¼ teaspoon Sage
1 Pinch rosemary
1 Small bay leaf
Crushed peppercorns to taste
Salt to taste (none with bouillon)
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
Dry white wine or for change try dry sherry
½ pounds Sweet cream butter (adjust salt if salted butter is used)

Directions

UTENSILS: 2 qt. sauce pan Colander or large strainer measuring cups and spoons food processor, mixer or blender (use your hands only if slightly Masochistic) Pate molds or buttered 9" cake pan with release or a bowl

PREPARATION: In sauce pan, combine livers, stock, spices, garlic, celery, onion, pepper & salt. Add enough wine to just cover ingredients and bring to boiling point. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about ½ hour. When done, place contents in the colander.

Reserve the wine broth and allow it to stand and cool. Discard the bayleaf from the contents in the colander and allow remainder to cool for ½ hour.

Gently ladel off the wine broth until the liquid containing the sediment equals ⅔ cup. Save the clear broth in case you need more.

Be sure to catch all the sediment because it is an important part of the recipe.

In your food processor; combine the contents of the colander, sediment broth, butter, mustard and ½ of the crumbled bacon. Process until the mixture is a smooth, soupy puree. Fold in remaining bacon and pour into final mold. If it is too thick to pour, you need to add more broth. Allow pate to set in refrigerator for at least 24 hours.

Unmold, lightly sprinkle with cracked peppercorns and garnish with sliced olives and parsley.

This recipe is an antique French farm recipe reported to be over 100 years old. It is a classic recipe with wonderful spices and subtle flavors.

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