1 ½ lb pork liver (about half a liver)
milk
4 Tbsps butter
2 onions (340gr), thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup port or brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp black pepper
milk
4 Tbsps butter
2 onions (340gr), thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup port or brandy
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tsp black pepper
- Remove any connective tissue, the white portions. All that should remain is the richly colored organ tissue. Cut the liver into 1 inch cubes. Place it in a bowl, cover with milk and refrigerate for at least an hour.
- Meanwhile start to caramelize the onions. This might take more than an hour anyway. Add the butter, onions and pinch of salt to a large pan. Take heed of the word “caramelize”, not saute. Cook them on a low heat, slowly. This truly transforms the onions and draws out the natural sugars. Stir them every so often so they brown, but don’t burn.
- When the onions are a rich caramel color and have almost disintegrated, add the minced garlic. Let the garlic soften a bit.
- Pull out the liver, drain the cubes from the milk and add to the onions.
- Cook the liver until the cubes are firm to the touch and the juices runs clear. Deglaze the pan with a slosh of port or brandy. Transfer the contents of the pan to a food processor (you might have to do this in batches).
- Add the port or brandy, my grandmother always preferred port, and the cream. Whip everything to a super fine mousse.
- For a fabulously creamy and smooth pâté, you’ll need to do one final and seemingly superfluous step. Scoop out the blended mousse into a fine mesh sieve set over a bowl. Using a flexible spatula, push the mousse through the sieve. At first it seems like nothing is happening, but then you notice a strange play-dough like phenomenon happening under the sieve. Eventually you’ll push through all the pâté and have separated any larger bits.
- Use a butter knife to scrape off the pâté into your jars. I used five 4 oz mason jars.
- Serve the pâté chilled and spread on crackers. Thinly sliced shallots are a tasty topping.
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