Duck Liver Pate Recipe - How to Make Liver Pate | Hank Shaw (2024)

Home | Wild Game | Ducks and Geese | Duck Liver Pate

4.73 from 11 votes

By Hank Shaw

January 11, 2021 | Updated June 06, 2022

Comment

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

I need to start this post by stating that I am not normally a liver lover. As an avid duck and goose hunter, for decades I’d searched for a duck liver pâté recipe I really, honestly enjoyed. To no avail.

Until now. I’ve finally cracked the code, and I’ll walk you through how I learned to love liver… at least in pâté.

Duck Liver Pate Recipe - How to Make Liver Pate | Hank Shaw (2)

Keep in mind this recipe works for pretty much any liver. I normally use wild duck and goose livers, but chicken livers, farmed duck livers and even the livers from larger animals will work, to a point.

If you do use mammal livers, my advice is to brine them overnight in a ratio of 1/4 cup kosher salt to 1 quart water, and/or another night’s soak in milk. This will strip some of the smell from, say, a deer or pig’s liver.

Now if you are using wild duck livers for your pâté, some are better than others.

Duck Liver Pate Recipe - How to Make Liver Pate | Hank Shaw (3)

See these? See how tan they look, compared to a normal, burgundy colored liver? This is what you want. This is the equivalent of wild foie gras, and yes, wild foie gras is real. I’ve seen similar livers in turkeys, pheasants, quail and even pigeons and doves.

You can make duck liver pâté out of any duck’s liver that is safe to eat, however. If you make it with lean livers, the color of the finished pâté will be darker, and you might want to double the amount of cream.

(Another great option for bird livers is my easy seared liver recipe.)

Now I did just use the phrase “safe to eat,” and I did because in some places, they are not. Where I live, there is a health warning against eating the livers of diver and sea ducks in the San Joaquin Valley and San Francisco Bay; it’s a mercury and selenium thing. These health warnings are rare, however, so chances are you’ll be fine. But if you are a hunter, it’s worth a check with your state health department.

Anyone using farmed bird livers is in the clear.

So, you may be asking yourself, what is so different about this duck liver pâté from all the other ones? Why is Hank so keen on this one? In a word, butter.

Yep, this is not a low fat pâté. No good one is. It requires a stick of butter, which is 1/2 cup. You’ll also want some lovely, flavorful strong wine or brandy, but that’s about it. This is very simple, and easy to make.

Duck Liver Pate Recipe - How to Make Liver Pate | Hank Shaw (4)

Once made, pack your duck liver pâté in glass jars or ramekins and they’ll keep in the fridge for a couple weeks. If you want to keep them longer, melt some butter over the top of the pâté and let it set like a cap over the pate.

And yes, you can freeze pâté. Definitely do the butter cap, and then put a lid on the jar and freeze. It will keep a few months that way, maybe 3 or 5. After that things could go downhill. When you want to eat it, thaw slowly in the fridge for a day or two first.

4.73 from 11 votes

Duck Liver Pate

This is a simple, accessible liver pate for those who normally don't like livers. See the headnotes for options and substitutions.

Save RecipePin RecipePrint Recipe

Course: Appetizer, Condiment, Snack

Cuisine: French

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick butter, divided (1/2 cup)
  • 1 large shallot or small onion, minced
  • 1/2 pound duck livers (see above for other options)
  • Salt
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • 3 tablespoons Marsala or brandy (or something similar)
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Instructions

  • Sweat the shallot in a pan over medium-low heat with 1 tablespoon of the butter. You want it soft, but not browned. Add the livers and cook, stirring often, just until browned on the outside, maybe 3 minutes.

  • Sprinkle salt and the flour over everything and toss to combine. It'll get a bit gunky, but that's OK. Cook this gently over medium-low heat for about 3 to 4 minutes, just to cook out the raw flour taste. Add the brandy or Marsala and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits.

  • Move all this into a blender, along with the white pepper. Let this cool for a minute or three, then pour in the heavy cream and start to puree the pate. Once it's going, drop the rest of the stick of butter in one tablespoon at a time, waiting for it to incorporate before adding the next one.

  • Pack the pate into jars or ramekins immediately, while the pate is still hot. You will want to chill it thoroughly before serving.

Notes

This recipe makes about 1 pint.

Nutrition

Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 124mg | Sodium: 96mg | Potassium: 54mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 7850IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
Appetizers and Snacks, Ducks and Geese, Featured, French, How-To (DIY stuff), Recipe, Wild Game

You May Also Like

Mexican

Chacales

Chacales are roasted, dried and cracked corn typically cooked in soups. Also called chichales or chuales, it makes a great meatless soup for Lent.

Italian

Alpine Bread Soup

If you are looking for a delicious, thing to do with stale bread, you could do a whole lot worse than make a batch of bread soup: It’s quick, easy and only uses a few ingredients.

American Recipes

Sauerkraut Casserole

An easy-to-make casserole or hotdish, sauerkraut casserole is basically German lasagna: Sauerkraut, venison or beef, noodles and cheese. What’s not to love?

Scandinavian

Yellow Pea Soup

Artsoppa, Swedish pea soup, is the most famous yellow pea soup recipe, although variations exist all over Scandinavia. This is a hearty winter meal.

About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

Read More About Me

Duck Liver Pate Recipe - How to Make Liver Pate | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What makes a good pâté? ›

Traditionally, pâtés include organ meat; liver is the most commonly used, as it contributes positively to both the earthy flavor and the spreadable texture of the pâté. Some pâtés also incorporate smoothing agents like eggs or butter.

How do they make pâté? ›

Pâté is made by removing the veins, gristle and membrane. The liver is chopped and made into a paste combined with wine, salt, herbs, mushrooms and sometimes veal (which is the meat of a baby calf starved to death so that its meat turns white). This paste is pressed down to form a cake.

What do they do to ducks to make pâté? ›

To produce “foie gras” (the French term means “fatty liver”), workers ram pipes down the throats of male ducks twice each day, pumping up to 2.2 pounds of grain and fat into their stomachs, or geese three times a day, up to 4 pounds daily, in a process known as “gavage.” The force-feeding causes the birds' livers to ...

How long does duck liver pate last in the fridge? ›

Once opened eat within 7 days. The rillettes are preserved in fat and can last much longer, use your judgement. Unopened the pate can be stored for about 2 weeks.

What is the main ingredient in pâté? ›

Pâté is often made of pig meat and parts, but wild game like snipe, partridge, venison or wild boar can be cooked into a pâté, as can farm-raised duck, rabbit or pheasant. Even vegetables can be made into pâté. Lean meats might require the addition of some pork fat to keep the pâté from drying out in the oven.

What are the basics of pâté? ›

Paté (pronounced pah-tay) is a French term that loosely translates to paste. Paté is a savory filling of meat and fat that is baked in a terrine (an earthenware vessel) and served hot or cold. Traditionally, paté was baked in pastry, aka paté en croute.

What is the most important meat in pâté? ›

Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.

What is duck liver pâté called? ›

Foie gras is the liver of a goose or duck that has been fattened by a process of force-feeding. It is considered a delicacy of French cuisine. Foie gras is ideally very firm and smoothly textured, with a colouring of creamy white tinged with pink.

How long does homemade pâté last? ›

Freshly made pâté lasts for about a week in the refrigerator and is best consumed within the first 3-4 days after making. Commercially packaged pâtés differ from manufacturer to manufacturer: their shelf life can last from as little as just 3 months up to 24, depending on the recipe and preservation method (ex.

What is the best bread for duck pate? ›

Toast and unless your paté is a “potted” version sealed under butter, that toast must be buttered. There is nothing that cannot be improved by the addition of butter. A grilled, properly spiky sourdough bread would be the ideal here, but any decent, thick-cut real white or granary bread will do.

Is duck liver pate good for you? ›

Foie gras, or fatty duck or goose liver, is a staple in French cuisine. It's typically served as a pâté with crackers or bread. It's high in fat and calories but also full of nutrients like vitamin B12, vitamin A, copper, and iron. It also contains mostly anti-inflammatory monounsaturated fat.

What goes with duck liver pate? ›

An onion marmalade or caramelized onions are particularly good or you could serve it with raisins or sultanas steeped in Pedro Ximenez or sweet Marsala or Nigella's Rich Fruit Chutney from her book Christmas, which is made with dried fruits. Both types of pate are good with the sweet-and-sour flavours of chutneys.

What cheese goes with paté? ›

As the name suggests, hard cheese is firm and goes perfectly well with our creamy and decadent mousse pâtés. Often savory, hard cheese can be divided into two categories: hard (such as Parmesan), and semi-hard (such as Gouda). We suggest pairing the former with Black Peppercorn, and the latter with Chicken Liver.

How to tell if pate has gone bad? ›

Examine its appearance - if you see any mold development or changes in color (grey or green instead of the usual pinkish/beige), it's likely spoiled. Likewise, a sour or off-putting smell is another strong indication your Pate is not safe to eat.

What to spread paté on? ›

Let your guests serve themselves, or spread the Pate on the bread or toast in advance and arrange them on a platter. A second great accompaniment is Cornichons (French for “gherkin”) are the perfect accompaniment to any type of Pate.

What are the characteristics of pâté? ›

What are the characteristics of pâté? Pâté can have a coarse, chopped texture or a smooth consistency. The meat mixture is seasoned with various herbs, spices, garlic, onions, shallots or vegetables and even alcohol can be incorporated like red and white wine or brandy.

What is the most famous pâté? ›

Some of the most popular types of pâté in France include pâté de campagne, made with pork, pâté de foie gras, made with duck or goose liver, and pâté en croûte, which is baked in a pastry crust.

What texture should pâté be? ›

Everyone but Delia and Saveur recommends pushing the mixture through a sieve before chilling, which I can't endorse heartily enough: there are always little bits left after pureeing, and pâtés should either be coarse or smooth, not gritty.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Reed Wilderman

Last Updated:

Views: 5844

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (52 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Reed Wilderman

Birthday: 1992-06-14

Address: 998 Estell Village, Lake Oscarberg, SD 48713-6877

Phone: +21813267449721

Job: Technology Engineer

Hobby: Swimming, Do it yourself, Beekeeping, Lapidary, Cosplaying, Hiking, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Reed Wilderman, I am a faithful, bright, lucky, adventurous, lively, rich, vast person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.