Chicken Liver Pâté

Here’s a super simple chicken liver pâté recipe that can be made in 10 minutes and will last a week in the fridge. Organ meats really are the crême de la crême of nutritious foods, but for many, they can be quite strong in flavour and that along with the texture can be off-putting. So a good place to start, if you are new to the organ-meat-game, is with chicken liver. In comparison to chicken breast/muscle meat, chicken liver is significantly more nutrient-dense and beneficial for our health. The flavour is perfect for a creamy homemade pâté which makes a great nutrient-dense protein source for a lunch plate. Making it from scratch is key because shop-bought pâté tends to be processed with a number of ingredients including nitrites.

Chicken liver is made up of about 25% protein, with a moderate level of fat and minimal carbohydrate. It is wonderfully high in B12 (100g provides 287% of the RDA), vitamin A, folate, vitamin B2, selenium and iron. It also contains good levels of phosphorous, zinc and copper. These are all essential nutrients, some of which are challenging to find in optimal levels in other foods.

MAKES: 1 large ramekin of pâté

TOTAL TIME: 10 minutes

SEASON: All year round

INGREDIENTS:

125g chicken livers

1 large knob grass-fed butter

1/2 small white onion (optional)

1 large clove garlic

2 heaped tbsps Greek/kerned natural yoghurt (full fat)

4-5 leaves of fresh sage or thyme (depending on which herb you prefer)

Pinch of sea salt

Optional: squeeze of lemon juice

METHOD:

1. Rinse and drain the livers of any excess blood.

2. Heat a large knob of butter in a pan over a medium heat, chop and sauté the onion for a couple of minutes and then add the livers. While they begin to fry, finely chop the garlic.

3. Once the livers have been cooking for a couple of minutes and have sealed on all sides, add in the garlic and continue to fry for another 3 minutes, stirring regularly. Then add in the yoghurt, fresh herbs (roughly chopped) and salt and heat for a further minute before removing from the heat.

4. Transfer the contents of the pan into a blender such as a Nutribullet, add in a squeeze of lemon (if desired) and blend. If the consistency is not creamy enough for you, add a little more yoghurt and blend further.

5. Place the contents in a ramekin / airtight jar and leave at room temperature to cool for about 30 minutes before transferring to the fridge. The consistency will firm up a little once the pâté has been refridgerated.

6. Enjoy on toast / oat cakes / with crudités, cheese and salad, or however you wish!