Our Blogs > Recipe of the Week > Dressings/Sauces/Spreads > Our Best Liver Pate Recipe
By Sarabeth Matilsky 18 Comments
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Liver is so super healthy, and I’m always trying to find sources that are good-quality. We usually eat it once per week as prepared in this recipe, with plantain chips to dip, and maybe some good goat cheese and raw veggies on the side. I’m really pleased with this recipe. (Thanks to Kristen for the seasoning details.) It tastes a little like liverwurst, which is more popular with more members of our family than previous recipes, especially because it is SO much simpler than other techniques, and quite delicious.
Quantities of ingredients may be adapted to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. chicken, lamb, or duck liver
- 1 large onion, peeled and cut in half
- 3 bay leaves
- 1/2-3/4 cup ghee
- 3/4-1 tsp unrefined sea salt, or to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1.5 tsp ground dried sage
Instructions
- Put the liver, onion, and bay leaves in a small saucepan, and cover with filtered water.
- Cover, bring to a boil, and then simmer for about 10 minutes or until the liver is cooked through.
- Drain thoroughly, remove bay leaves, and add remaining ingredients.
- Using a hand blender, blend thoroughly and adjust seasonings.
- Put the pate into serving containers and refrigerate overnight before serving.
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About Sarabeth Matilsky
Sarabeth Matilsky has loved food and cooking since she was a kid. In the two decades since, she rode her bike across the country (her first traveling kitchen!), met an incredible guy along the way, married him, and the two then had four children.
Most recently, Sarabeth and her family moved out of their house in upstate NY and into a camper trailer. They now live a nomadic lifestyle. Sarabeth spends a lot of time cooking whole-foods meals, experimenting with dietary healing techniques of all sorts, and homeschooling her kiddos (ages 3-14). In her "free" time, she loves to dance, write, and sing.
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Comments
Liver King says
Love the recipe and love the story of about Sarabeth Matilsky in the bio section. Thank you for sharing.
I wonder if I could work some pastured egg yolks into this recipe?
Reply
Sarabeth says
Hey, you’re very welcome. 🙂 I have added a hardboiled egg or two (once the liver is cooked, just before blending), when I didn’t have enough meat to make the quantity I wanted. I imagine a hardboiled egg yolk would work totally fine, and maybe even if it’s raw – I just don’t personally like the flavor of raw eggs so I’ve never tried. If you added it to the hot liver, it might cook halfway and work well. Let me know how it turns out!
Reply
Maureen Diaz says
I love chicken liver, and especially enjoy it as pate! This recipe is different from ones I’ve used in the past and looks interesting, so I’ll make some this weekend. Just a thought though, I hate the idea of throwing out any of that wonderful liquid from cooking. Instead, start with less water and gently simmer the liquor down until the liver is just moist. Also, tossing in a splash of brandy or white wine at the end of cooking, while not over cooking the liver, prevents the grainy texture that often results when cooking tender chicken livers. My mouth is now watering-I need to make this pate!!!
Plaintains make a great cracker! We also like to make cheese crackers for our pate, shredding Asiago, Romano, & Parmesan cheeses and baking the like cookies. This goes well with pate.
Happy trails Sarabeth, you’re kind of living my dream…
Reply
Sarabeth says
Thanks so much, Maureen – I’m living my dream too, although it both is and isn’t as romantic as I imagined. 🙂
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Sandrine Perez says
I have started to use duck fat in my pâté and will try your recipe with that!
Reply
rose simons says
do you have a beef liver pate` recipe? thanks kindly. rose
Reply
Sarabeth Matilsky says
I have tried this with beef, but don’t much care for it. Chicken and lamb are my favorites. 😊
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Susan says
Can’t wait to try this. Can the pate be frozen? Thanks!
Reply
Carolyn Graff says
yes, it can be frozen
Reply
rose simons says
Excellent recipe!!!!!!!!!!!! do you know where I can get duck fat?
I am from Omaha ne. cant find a store here that has it. thank you. RReply
Carolyn Graff says
there are sources for duck fat in the WAPF Shopping Guide https://www.westonaprice.org/about-us/shopping-guide/
Reply
Ebeth says
Have you tried canning this recipe? I’m trying to find a recipe for chicken pate and beef pate that can be canned. Kind of new to this, so thanks for any help!
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Sarabeth Matilsky says
We no longer eat liver at all, due to discovering that it exacerbates our family’s symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, so I can’t help you with that! Good luck
Reply
rachel s says
hi sarabeth – i’m interested in what you’re saying about vitamin a toxicity. i’ve only just started learning about liver and eating it (making my first pate today!) for its health benefits. is there any advice you would give considering you have stopped eating it for good? 🙂
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SANDY PARENT says
No need to can. Just seal with melted butter put in frig to cool and then freeze for 3 months. use before
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ABC says
Hi am going to try this thank you, I am new to liver and just wondered do I need to rinse or soak it before hand?? Or just use straight is from the packet?
Thank you.Reply
Julie says
Hi,
Do I have to use ghee for this, or can I use regular butter?Reply
colleen chamberlain says
Hi, can this be placed in the freezer? Its just me and if I make this amount it would be too much so was wondering I can make small batches and place in the freezer for later consumption.
Reply
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