Chicken Liver Patè is probably not the first thing that comes to mind when you’re wanting to snack, but this is so good it might just change your preferences. The powerful flavour of ground cloves collides beautifully against the intensity of the liver, but it’s the orange which lifts this recipe towards brilliance. The zest, bitter and aromatic, is the perfect compliment to the fatty liver, and the juice donates a fruity freshness. The patè is creamy, mousse-like, and you’ll find it’s best straight off the spoon.
Chicken Liver Patè with Orange and Zest: Why the Orange Works
I’m reading, cooking, eating and tasting my way through the culinary book Bitter by Jennifer McLagan. It won the 2015 James Beard Award for the single subject category, and I can see why. It’s a fascinating read, full of bizarre information about how our sense of taste is no simple matter. We’re led to believe that taste is governed by our tastebuds and nose, but all sorts of things – our age, our cultural prejudices, the shape of our dinner plate, the colour of the food – contribute to how we perceive what goes into our mouths.
Here in Italy, we love the taste of bitter. It’s common to mix bitter salad leaves in with the sweet and soft ones, or to sautè a big head of endive or radicchio and serve it as a side. We love chicory and dandelion, and both our aperitivos and our digestivos are tinged with bitter. This book, however, has taken my palate and my cooking to another level of appreciation. I now know, for example, that a synergistic magic occurs when fat and bitter are combined.
I wanted to explore that relationship in the context of a chicken liver patè. Having such a strong taste, liver needs to be tempered, and for that the addition of ground cloves works really well. But to bring out the robust flavour of fat, I thought to try orange zest – and wow, what an impact! It’s gorgeous.
I want to serve this to guests without them knowing it’s chicken liver patè. Maybe I can make grilled zucchini wraps, or fill tiny savoury tart cases. I want to see if this patè, with it’s complex and balanced flavours, will overcome the common resistance to organ meats. I’ve got a feeling it will.
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This recipe has been shared on The Wednesday Showcase , The AIP Recipe Roundtable, Allergy Free Thursday, Foodie Friends Friday, Gluten Free Fridays and Real Food Fridays.
Let me know in the comments how you go with this one – I think you’re going to love it!
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- 400 grams /14 ounces chicken liver
- 1 large orange
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- 5 tablespoons lard, divided
- Zest the orange and mince the zest. Cut the orange in half and squeeze the juice. You want ⅓ cup of juice.
- Melt 2 tablespoons of lard in a frypan. Add the chicken livers, ground cloves and orange zest and cook the livers thoroughly, turning often, until they stop seeping blood, about 7 minutes.
- Put the cooked livers into the food processor and add the orange juice. Process on high until it the livers are well blended. The mixture will be quite liquid - this is fine.
- Pour the patè into small serving dishes, stopping ½ cm / ¼ inch from the top.
- Melt the remaining 3 tablespoons of lard. Pour over the patè, just enough to seal the surface. Carefully transfer to the fridge and wait for the patè to solidify, at least 1 hour.
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Hi Angie,
Liver is suppose to be supposed to be so healthy and your recipe and such a unique twist with the oranges – sounds quite tasty. Thanks for sharing on Real Food Fridays. Pinned & tweeted!
Hi Marla, Liver is insanely nutrient-dense – I researched it a little as I was writing this post, but realised it deserves a post of it’s own. Organ meats can be a little frightening at first, but then you actually start to miss them if you haven’t had a dose for a week or so! See you again soon on Real Food Fridays, and as always, thanks so much for hosting! A
How long does the pate keep?
Do I remove the lard covering to serve?
Hi Nancy. It should keep for up to a week in the fridge, especially if it has that covering of lard which keeps it from oxidising. I’ve read that patè freezes well, though I haven’t tried it myself. Oh, I always serve it with the fatty topping – it adds to the creaminess! Hope you like the recipe. Best wishes, and Merry Christmas!
Hi Nancy thanks for posting this recipe! I’m not able to have cloves right now- is there a sub you’d recommend for AIP friendly?
Hi Lauren! That’s Angie, not Nancy, haha! If you can’t have cloves, then I’d suggest substituting with cinnamon, which is always a safe herb and is strong enough to balance the intensity of the liver. In fact – I must publish this recipe – I usually use a little cassava flour with cinnamon and other spices (or I’ll use my All Purpose Festive Spice Mix) to coat cubes of calf liver before frying. Try it, and let me know how you go! A
Thanks for this recipe, so simple but very tasty.
Hi Collette, Oh, Great, I’m so glad you like it! Health and Happiness to you! A