Great recipes get passed around from friend to friend in an endless circle of good will and camaraderie. Such it was that this recipe printed in Clodagh's Irish Kitchen arrived in my post office box early in January from a friend up North with the explanation that it was an exceptional find. And, she was so right, as she is so often!
We're particularly fond of this pate because of the texture. The wild mushrooms are cooked, finely chopped and then folded into the processed liver mixture, resulting in a more substantial pate than is often the case. The pate is super creamy and melts almost immediately when spread on toast or warm bread.
Chef McKenna suggests serving the pate with warm, crunchy, white bread or traditional Irish soda bread or even brioche. We found that it's also scrumptious spread on mini-bagels and accompanied by sweet gherkins and capers.
When I prepared the pate with Hedgehogs that had been harvested earlier in the day and served it as an appetizer, Steven turned to me in all seriousness and said: "Forget the rest of the dinner. Save it for tomorrow night. Tonight, all I want is to eat the rest of the pate!"
The Troy Hall B&B, Derry, located in an original grand
manor house, circa 1890, offered us a lovely breakfast setting
when we were recently vacationing in Ireland.
Clodagh McKenna's Wild Mushroom and Chicken Liver Pate
3 sticks butter
1 pound organic chicken livers, cleaned
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
2 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
2 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped thyme
2 tablespoons olive oil
7 ounces wild mushrooms (such as chanterelles, morels or black trumpets)
- In a skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter and add the chicken livers. Cook on medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the livers are cooked and there is no trace of pinkness, about 15 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper.
- Transfer the cooked livers to a food processor. Add the brandy, garlic and thyme to the skillet and deglaze all of the juices from the livers (this is where the real flavor is). Add the brandy mixture to the food processor and blend with the livers. Let cool.
- While the livers are cooling, cook the wild mushrooms: Place a skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. After 1 minute, stir in the mushrooms and season with salt and black pepper. Cook the mushrooms for about 5 minutes, stirring to ensure that they cook evenly. Remove from the pan and finely chop, then let cool.
- When everything has cooled, slowly add the remaining butter to the food processor and process until it has been incorporated, then fold in the chopped mushrooms. Transfer to a large dish or eight individual ramekins and refrigerate until set, about 3 hours.