Chicken Liver Parfait

Creating the perfect pâté is an art form that has been perfected over centuries, with each region adding its own unique twist to this classic dish. Whether you prefer a rustic pâté made with pig meat, a wild game pâté with partridge or venison, or a vegetarian pâté filled with fresh vegetables, there's a version of this delicacy to suit every palate. One of the most popular variations is the "Parfait De Foie De Volaille," a silky-smooth pâté made with chicken livers. The rich, velvety texture of this pâté is achieved by sautéing the livers with shallots before blending them with a secret mix of ingredients. The result is a decadent spread that pairs perfectly with crunchy crostini or as a filling in gourmet sandwiches. Pork fat plays a crucial role in pâté making, ensuring that the final product stays moist and flavorful. This ingredient, along with the carefully selected herbs and spices, elevates the pâté to a level of gastronomic excellence that is hard to resist. Whether you're a seasoned pâté enthusiast or new to the world of charcuterie, exploring the world of pâté is a culinary journey not to be missed. So why not take a step into the realm of French elegance and indulge in the luxurious flavors of this timeless classic?

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A silky-smooth delicacy

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Chicken Liver Mousse

To prepare loaf pans, grease with cooking spray and line with parchment. Grease again the inside and wipe off excess fat and refrigerated pans until ready to use.
Melt butter on low heat and keep it at 100ºF/38ºC before using. In a small container, scale out salt and pepper. Mince shallots and set aside. To clean chicken livers, drain and trim the meat away from the connective tissue. Discard tissues and any impurities and blood spots left. Place livers over paper towel and keep refrigerated. In a large skillet, sweat shallots for a a couple of minute until fragrant. Add livers and season with some of the salt and pepper mixture and sear for 1 more minutes on high heat – do not cook through. Immediately transfer seared livers onto a baking tray lined with parchment and freeze for 15 minutes and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
*Curing salt helps to preserve meat as it prevents or slows spoilage by bacteria or fungus. In a high powered blender (you won't reach the same silkiness if using the food processor), add the cold livers, eggs, remaining salt and pepper, curing salt, brandy and lukewarm butter. Blend for 20 sec on low and full blast for less than 60 secs. You want to avoid mixing for too long or the mixture may turn grey due to the amount of heat from the blade friction factor transferred to the mixture during mixing. Strain the liver mixture through a fine sieve or chinois.
Fill up prepared molds or jars. Tap pans over the counter to remove excess air bubbles. Refrigerate for 2 hours at least prior to cooking.

Cooking

Preheat oven to 325ºF/160ºC. Bring some water to a boil. Place chilled pâté in a shallow dish and fill up with hot water. Place in the oven and cover with another tray on top or use heavy duty aluminum foil. Cook in bain-marie for 20 minutes. Remove the top, turn oven off and leave it for 10 more minutes or until the center doesn't jiggle anymore. Chicken livers should be cooked to at least 154.4ºF/68ºC. Allow pâté to cool off onto a cooling rack for 30 mins and place in the refrigerator for 12 hours to set completely. To ease unmolding, quickly warm up bottom pan and flip – remove parchment paper and keep pâté refrigerated until ready to glaze.

Glazing With Duck Fat

Glazing pate with duck fat will improve its taste in addition to prevent from drying out. Place pâté (one at the time) onto a cooling rack lined with plastic wrap and freezer for 30 minutes. Warm up duck fat to 77ºF/25ºC and glaze pâté. Sprinkle top with some fresh thyme. Repeat until done and refrigerate.

Storage

Chicken liver pâté can be kept wrapped under refrigeration for a few days.

Vacuum Sealing

To extend its shelf-life, pâté can be vacuum-sealed. To do so, freeze pate overnight and vacuum-seal. Store for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator or for 3 months in the freezer.

Cooking Sous-Vide

Silicone molds, glass jars and ramekins can be used to cook pate sous-vide. Fill up molds and top with toasted pain de mie (optional and only if chicken liver parfait is flipped once cooked and chilled). Freeze pâté overnight prior to vacuum-sealing. Note that when using silicone mold, you may need to turn off the vacuum sealer machine right before the mold flexes too much. Fill an appropriate container with water, and set up your circulator to 154.4ºF/68ºC. Immerse sealed bag in the hot water and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Remove from water and transfer pate to ice water and freeze for 12 hours before removing chicken liver parfait from the mold.

Glazing With Duck Fat

Warm up duck fat to 77ºF/25ºC. Immerse frozen pâté in duck fat using a wooden skewer. Repeat until done.

Storage

Freeze pâté overnight and vacuum-seal.
The night before serving chicken liver parfait, unwrap frozen pâté and place in the refrigerator to thaw a few hours. Serve with toasted bread and cornichons. Enjoy!

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