French Chicken Liver Pate

I adore this chicken liver pate! It's one of the most flavorful recipes I've ever made and I tested and fine-tuned it for maximum flavor and creaminess.

The perfect balance of flavors come from lightly caramelized onion with fragrant garlic, fresh herbs such as sage, thyme and/or rosemary, bay leaf, allspice, nutmeg, butter and brandy. We're using chicken livers which have a mild flavor. You can also use turkey livers which are just as mild, creamy and delicious.

This pate will be a favorite on any party dinner table served alongside crunchy vegetables such as endive leaves, carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers, or as a dip with Keto Crackers. You can also serve this low-carb pate on hot buttered toast made from our Quick Keto Bread or Quick Keto White Bread.

Preparation time

Hands-on:    30 minutes
Overall:     2 hours 30 minutes

Nutritional values (per serving, 2 heaped tbsp/ 45 g/ 1.6 oz)

Total Carbs	0.8	grams
Fiber	0.1	grams
Net Carbs	0.7	grams

Protein	5.1	grams
Fat	18.8	grams
of which Saturated	11.3	grams

Energy	195	kcal

Magnesium	6	mg (2% RDA)
Potassium	81	mg (4% EMR)

Macronutrient ratio: Calories from carbs (1%), protein (11%), fat (88%)

Ingredients (makes 600 g/ 1.3 oz)

400 g chicken or turkey livers (14.1 oz)
1 small red onion, diced (60 g/ 2.1 oz)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp chopped herbs such as rosemary, thyme and/or sage
1 bay leaf
300 g unsalted butter (10.6 oz)
1 tsp sea salt, or to taste
¹/₂ tsp black pepper, or to taste
¹/₄ tsp allspice
¹/₄ tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp brandy or whiskey (30 ml)
melted ghee for topping to seal

Instructions

Trim the chicken livers - remove any sinew. Chop the onion and mince the garlic.
Melt about 3 tablespoons of the butter in frying pan. Add onion and sauté gently until fragrant, for 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and chopped herbs (rosemary, thyme and/or sage) and chopped bay leaf. Cook for one more minute.
Place livers in pan and cook over a gentle heat until cooked. You want the livers to be just slightly pink in the centre but without any fluids seeping out. You will get juices in the pan, but this is normal, just make sure that they’re not oozing out of the livers. Don't overcook them or they'll be grey and the texture will be grainy instead of smooth and creamy.
Once cooked, remove from heat and sit aside to cool. Transfer the mixture to a food processor together with the remaining butter, salt and pepper, allspice, nutmeg and brandy (or whiskey).
Blitz until smooth and creamy. Taste and season more if needed.
Transfer into small storage jars (we're using 120 ml/ 4 oz capacity fido jars) that can be sealed and use a spatula to level. Use a tissue to wipe any pate off the sides and then pour about 2 tablespoons of melted ghee on top of each. Optionally, add a sprig of thyme, rosemary or a sage leaf on top in the melted ghee.
Refrigerate for about 2 hours to firm the pate up before serving. You can also add a layer of melted ghee to seal the top. This will keep the pate fresh for longer. Remove from the fridge 15-20 minutes before serving.
Note: You won't be eating the ghee topping but it will keep the pate fresh for longer which you need to do when making a larger batch of pate. Do not use melted butter as it won't last for as long as ghee.
Store sealed in the refrigerator for up to a week. Can also be frozen. Serve with crispy vegetables such as endive leaves, carrots, bell peppers and cucumbers, or as a dip with Keto Crackers. You can also spread this pate on a slice of our Quick Keto Bread!