Sherried Chicken Pate

I love pate, and I have been wanting to create it for a long long time.  I don't have much experience with French cooking so when I began this process I was a little weary but hopeful.  This chicken pate was the appetizer for the lovely French meal that my boyfriend and I made on Valentines day this year.  After a long and difficult day it was very nice to walk into his house and be greeted with a glass of wine and a dozen roses (blush), not to mention cooking always helps me relax.  I found and adapted this recipe after looking at many versions of pate, this was one of the most simple ones and it turned out VERY tasty!


The Ingredients
4 strips bacon
4 medium shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon allspice, ground
3/4 cup dry sherry
1 1/4 lbs chicken livers, rinsed
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup bacon fat

The Process
1.  Place a large skillet on the stove and turn to medium-high heat and cook bacon until crisp.  Take bacon out of pan and throw away or use for something of your choice) and then pour all the bacon fat (except for a tablespoon) into a container and set aside for later use. 

2.  Reduce heat to medium-low and add shallots, garlic, and thyme to skillet and cook for about 5 minutes or until shallots are soft, but not browned.

3.  Then stir in sherry and allspice, increase heat to medium-high and cook for 4 minutes stirring often.

4.  Then add chicken livers and cook for about 5 minutes, until the outsides are cooked and the insides are still pink in the middle.

5.  Remove from heat immediately so you don't over cook the livers, and transfer everything into a food processor.

6.  Add sugar, salt, and cream to the food processor and then blend on low until the mixture is smooth.

7.  Transfer mixture to a glass dish and smooth the top out, then take the bacon fat that you set aside and pour over the top of the pate.

8.  Then put in fridge and let set until the bacon fat solidifies, about 3-4 hours.  It will last about a week, enjoy!