I am not a fan of liver, but I love liver pate. So I decided to make it myself. However, all I could find in Finland was beef liver. Chicken liver is not available in the big supermarkets, so I bought it at a Middle Eastern market.
There is a Finnish Christmas dish called Maksalaatikko. It is an oven dish made with beef liver. However, it seems to have a strong odor, so it’s not to everyone’s taste. Thanks to this, when Juhani hears the word “liver,” he said, “It stinks! I don’t eat it!” The smell can be removed with proper treatment, and chicken liver does not have too strong a smell. I made the liver pate using this recipe and chilled it thoroughly, and he gobbled it up, saying it was delicious.
To get rid of the smell, I choose milk, which I tried before with Gialla. Just soaking in milk for 30 minutes removes the odor better than soaking in water.
I bought some chicken liver from a Middle Eastern market and made my own. If you prepare it well, you can make a delicious liver pate without any smell.
Remove the white streaks and blood clots from the liver. There are often clots at the base of the streaks, so remove them carefully.
Rinse the liver in water, drain, and cut in half or more. Be sure to cut even the small ones in half to ensure that the odor is removed.
Place the liver in a bowl and pour in the milk until it is covered. Place in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to remove the odor.
Rinse the liver in cold water. Smell and if the smell is gone, you can start cooking. If the smell is still strong, replace the milk and let sit for another 30 minutes.
Cooking
Cut celery, onion and garlic into thin slices.
Heat the butter in a frying pan over medium heat.
When the butter melts, add the vegetables and fry lightly.
Add the liver. Cover with a lid and fry until the vegetables become soft.
Add the wine (*2), salt (*3), and herbs. Simmer over low-medium heat, uncovered, until the water is absorbed.
When all the liquid is gone, turn off the heat and let it cool down.
Pour the contents of the pan and the cream into a blender. Or, add the cream to the pan and mix well with a hand blender.
Pour into a container and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator.
NOTES
*1If you add 50g of onions, the liver flavor will be stronger, and if you add 100g, the sweetness of onions will be stronger. Adjust the amount to your liking.*2If you add 100mL of wine, the liver pate will have a strong wine flavor.*3Use about 1/4 teaspoon if dipping salty crackers, or more than 1/2 teaspoon if serving with baguette or vegetables.
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