Liver is arguably one of the most nutrition dense foods you can eat. It is chock full of Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, B vitamins, and the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. Although the incorporation of liver into regular meals has largely become a thing of the past in Western cultures (to the detriment of our health), pate is a great snacking option for those looking to add some health boosting liver into their diets in a form that doesn’t have the ‘ewwww’ factor of whole cooked liver.
Note that a common objection for eating liver is often the presumption that the liver is an organ that stores toxins and is thus toxic to eat. The reality is that although the liver does process toxins for removal from the body, it does not actually store the toxins. These are far more likely to be stored in adipose (fat) tissue if unable to be eliminated.
Pate is incredibly easy to make, and costs a fraction of the store bought alternatives. What’s more, you can control the ingredients you use. This is important as you should source organic liver whenever possible to maximise the nutrient density of the final product.
Chicken liver pate
Ingredients
500g organic chicken liver (I love the Cleavers brand)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
250g of mushrooms, roughly chopped
2/3 cup of dry white wine
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/2 tsp dried dill
1/2 tsp mustard powder
2 cloves of garlic
2 Tbs lemon juice
1/2 stick of softened unsalted butter
Method
Melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a heavy saucepan. Fry off the liver and mushrooms until the liver is browned (approx 10 minutes). Add the wine, garlic, lemon juice, dried herbs and mustard powder. Bring to a boil and cook until the liquid has evaporated.
Cool the mixture, then add to a food processor or blender with the softened butter. Season to taste. Blend until smooth.
You can store the pate in the fridge in an airtight container for a couple of days, or you could freeze it for up to 2 months (drizzle some olive oil over the pate until covered to keep it fresh when freezing).
Enjoy the nutrient packed goodness as a snack with chopped veggies or crackers.
In wellness,
James
