Go Back
Print Recipe

Duck Liver Pate

Learn how to make duck liver pâté with just a few simple ingredients. Perfect on toasted bread, garnished with herbs, in charcuterie boards, and more.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Resting time6 hours
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: French
Keyword: Duck Liver Pâté, duck pate recipe

Ingredients

  • ½ lb. duck liver 250 g
  • 1 large onion ½ lb. weight
  • 5 garlic cloves
  • ½ cup melted duck fat
  • 4 sprigs fresh or dry thyme
  • white pepper and salt to taste

Instructions

Prepare Ingredients:

  • Clean the duck liver, removing any membranes or connective tissues.
  • Finely chop the onion and garlic cloves.
  • Melt the duck fat if it's not already in a liquid state.

Sauté Onion and Garlic:

  • In a medium-sized pan, heat a tablespoon of duck fat over medium heat.
  • Add the chopped onion to the pan and sauté until softened and translucent. Do not brown.
  • Add chopped garlic to the pan and sauté for about 1-2 minutes. Take great care for ingredients to not get any color.
  • Reserving one and a half tbsp. of the melted duck fat, add all of the remaining duck fat to the pan and sprinkle thyme into the garlic-onion mixture.

Cook Duck Liver:

  • Add the duck livers to the pan with the sautéed onions, garlic and melted duck fat. Turn down the heat to low. You want to poach the duck livers in fat without browning them. Make sure to cook duck liver on both sides.
  • To check if the duck liver is done, carefully make a cut in the center of the liver at its thickest point. If you see any traces of blood in the liver tissue, continue cooking. However, if the liver looks pink with no visible signs of blood, promptly turn off the heat and set the livers aside to cool slightly.

Blend the Mixture:

  • Transfer the cooked duck livers together with duck fat, onions, garlic, and thyme mixture to a food processor.
  • Blend the ingredients until you achieve a smooth consistency. Scrape down the sides of the food processor as needed to ensure everything is well combined.

Adjust Seasoning:

  • Taste the pâté and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Ensure the flavor is balanced to your liking.
  • Film pâté with the remaining fat (this means pour fat on top of the pâté). This will seal and help to preserve pâté for longer.
  • Refrigerate the pâté for at least a few hours or overnight to allow the flavors to develop.

Notes

The Quantity of ingredients specified in this recipe for liver pate yields approximately 3 x 4 oz. (125 ml.) jars.