Danish-style chicken liver pate

Ingredients for 8 servings:

• 500 g chicken liver(s)
• 250 g bacon, streaky
• 3 m.-large shallot(s)
• 60 g butter (approx. 3 heaped tablespoons)
• 3 tbsp, heaped flour
• 7 tbsp whipped cream
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tsp, heaped sea salt
• 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 3 tbsp, heaped dill, fresh, finely chopped
• 1 tsp, heaped marjoram, dried, shredded
• 1 tsp, heaped sugar

Instructions

Working time approx. 20 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour 20 minutes

Dansk Leverpostej med Dild fra Fiefhusen

Finely dice the bacon. Peel and finely chop the shallots. The chicken liver is naturally already fine enough for further processing. Now you need to make a fine, homogenous mixture from the bacon and shallots. This can be done using a meat grinder, immersion blender, stand mixer, or similar equipment. I use the beaker attachment with cutting blades for my immersion blender. Chop and blend until the mixture is really fine and the bacon and shallots are no longer really distinguishable. Now add the chicken liver and mix until a smooth, wonderfully red mixture forms. Store the mixture in the refrigerator for now. Whisk the egg until evenly creamed and place it on the stovetop along with the cream. I then measure all the other ingredients and place them on the stovetop. Preheat the oven to 175 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit) and place a deep baking tray filled with water on the middle rack. Melt the butter in a non-stick pan over 3/4 heat until it bubbles slightly. Then add the flour and stir in thoroughly. Then simmer like a classic roux until the mixture starts to take on some color. Then deglaze with the cream and stir with a whisk. Immediately add the cold liver mixture from the fridge and the beaten egg, whisk everything together vigorously and remove the pan from the heat. Then add the spices and herbs and whisk them vigorously with the liver mixture. If you’re feeling daring like me, you can now taste the mixture and season it to your own taste if necessary. I then fill the mixture into several smaller ceramic baking dishes. This way I always have a manageable amount of liver paste in the fridge and can vacuum seal the leftovers and freeze them as a reserve. But it also works in a baking dish, of course. As soon as the oven has reached 175 degrees and the water in the tray is steaming vigorously, place the dishes in a water bath and bake for about 50 minutes. Don’t be alarmed if the contents of the molds swell during baking; this will “go away” when they cool down. Let the molds cool down and then place them in the refrigerator or wrap them (in cling film or a vacuum bag) in the freezer. Tip: Every Danish household has its own recipe for its Leverpostej. That’s why my recipe is basically the basic one and a true chameleon. The dill can be swapped for any other green garden herbs such as chives, parsley, chervil, or coriander, depending on your personal taste. You can also use any dried herbs you like, such as rosemary, thyme, savory, and many more. The Danes also like to add a dash of aquavit or Gammel Dansk. A bit of grated lemon or orange peel also makes an interesting variation. Pork, turkey, or cod liver also works well. For me, however, chicken liver gives the best consistency. Go with whatever you like—experiment.