Wine Glazed Mushroom and Liver Pate
Growing up with a Danish mother, my childhood lunches or dinners regularly included liver pate (or leverpostej as we knew it). My siblings would gobble it down, considering it a treat, and I would eat just enough to take the edge off my hunger or ask for tuna fish. Yes, this was not the part of my heritage I most enjoyed.
Mushroom and liver pate
I do remember when I started to appreciate the dish, however. It was many years later and this time had a French twist. My husband and I were attending the Festival of Cheese at an American Cheese Society conference and enjoying the specialty foods there (amid the mountains of amazing cheese). One of these was a liver pate by Les Trois Petites Cochons. We kept going back for seconds and it soon became a fixture on my holiday appetizer trays.
Mushroom and Liver Pate on plate
Last year, however, fate really lent a hand when I picked up my annual lamb for the freezer. Meeting the farmer at the butcher shop, I got an interesting question, “Would you like the lamb liver?”
“Sure,” I said, guessing that my mother would take it if I couldn’t figure anything out. One of the farmers looked at the other and grinned, “Give it all to her. No one else is going to want it.” Six packages of lamb liver later I knew I needed a recipe.
Mushroom and Liver Pate from above
The recipe below is a composite from two sources—one for the pate and one for the wine jelly that I like over the top. Originally made with chicken liver, I ended up using half lamb liver and half mushrooms to create a version that mutes the greater intensity that lamb or beef liver (versus chicken) brings. If you can get beef or lamb right off the farm that has is grass-fed organic even better.
I originally made this dish because I enjoy it, but in doing research for the post I learned that lamb liver (and presumably beef as well) packs a serious nutrition punch. The chart below from Poppies & Papyas has more detail. 
Now pate sounds like it should be hard, but it isn’t at all and it can even be made ahead. The only thing remotely “tricky” is getting a smooth spread on the top. I ended up turning one of those special butter serving knives (see the “smoothing” picture below) into a makeshift offset spatula since its small size was perfect. Slight irregularities will be hidden by the wine jelly topping anyway.
Sautee liver for pate
Blend, pour into serving dishes, then smooth
Cool, then top with wine jelly glaze
To help you out even more in the busy holiday season, the pate itself freezes (for a few weeks only), covered with a layer of wax paper and sealed. Leave the jelly top off for freezing, and add it a day before serving. Still easy-peasy.
Do you have a favorite make-ahead appetizer?
- o 1 stick butter, divided
- o ½ lb mushrooms, sliced
- o 1 cup finely chopped onion
- o 1 large garlic clove, minced
- o 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- o 1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- o 1 teaspoon minced fresh sage or 1/4 teaspoon dried
- o 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
- o 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- o 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
- o ½ lb lamb or beef liver
- o 2 tablespoons bourbon or brandy
- • 1 T water
- • ¼ c plus 1 T port wine (or 1 T sherry & ¼ c red wine)
- • 1 t sugar
- • ½ t unflavored gelatin
- • pinch of ground allspice
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in medium skillet. Add sliced mushrooms and ¼ teaspoon salt, then sautee until golden.
- Melt remaining butter in a large skillet over moderately low heat, then cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add herbs, ½ teaspoon salt, pepper, allspice, and livers and cook, stirring, until livers are cooked outside but still pink when cut open, about 8 minutes. Stir in bourbon and remove from heat. Add cooked mushrooms, then purée mixture in a food processor or blender (I think a blender creates a smoother pate) until smooth. Transfer pâté to crock or mini loaf pans and smooth top.
- Chill pâté until firm, about 30 minutes, then cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 2 hours more. (Freeze at this point if desired)
- To make the jelly, put the water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over it. Let sit 5 minutes.
- In a small pan, warm the port (or wine/sherry mixture) with the sugar and allspice, then pour it over the softened gelatin, stirring until the gelatin is completely dissolved (you won’t see the little dots of gelatin when complete). Let the mixture cool until it’s tepid, then spoon it gently over the chilled pâté.
Wow. Just made this and the liver with mushrooms was amazing. I only had fresh chicken livers but it turned out tasty. I had never had a jelly over my pate and found it an interesting addition. The only problem was that I put a tad too much garlic in it (my fault…I got carried away). Fortunately, my husband and I both love garlic! Will be more careful next time. Thanks for your recipe!
So glad you enjoyed Dee–thanks for sharing. I haven’t made this in awhile but I’ve been thinking about it suddenly again, so now I’m really going to add it to the list! And btw, we’d probably be fine with extra garlic too!
Also, I wanted to compliment you on your website. It is so refreshing not to be bombarded with newsletter signups, pop-ups, and ads everywhere. Thank you for all of the delightful recipes you post for us to enjoy. I highly value your website above others because of this!
Thank you so much Pita. Made my day!
Hello!
I was wondering, how many of those mini crocks does this recipe fill? I will be trying this for Christmas!
That’s a really good question and I honestly can’t remember for sure. I am thinking it was 2-3 because I know that sometimes I would freeze one (which is okay but not as good). Hope you enjoy!
Inger, this looks amazing! I love pate, but I’ve always been intimidated by making it on my own! I am definitely going to try this. Thanks for sharing!
You really must try this Heidi! It’s much easier than I ever would have thought! BTW–I tried your pear tart but since I didn’t have candied ginger accented with lavender. Loved it–still tweaking but that will probably be posted one of these days. Thanks for sharing that!
Might have to try this – we get a quarter cow every year and I always take the liver. Apparently I just can’t say no to food – even when I don’t especially like it, haha.
I just realized I have lamb heart in my freezer–if you have any ideas for that, send them!!
I must admit liver isn’t one of my favourites. I hated it as a child and don’t like it much more than that as an adult. Still, isn’t it interesting how a dish that someone adores can be someone else’s least favourite?
I think the pate is a lot more appealing than straight liver which I will eat, but only with a lot of bacon and onions. I agree Beth that tastes are funny–especially when there are things that part of a family won’t eat. In ours my father and all of us kids wouldn’t eat green peppers or almond paste, even though my mother loved both. I so wanted to like the beautiful marzipan treats we had at Christmas …
Oh my word, this looks amazing! Unlike you, I found liver to be a treat when I was young because my father hated it and we only had it when he was on a business trip. And now I need to find lamb’s liver! No butcher has ever offered it to me! 🙁 Thanks for this wonderful holiday recipe!
It’s been nice to hear from other liver appreciators (here and on Facebook) David–I was worried this would be a tough sell. I expect this would work with any type of liver.I still have a beef heart in my freezer from last year’s quarter of beef speaking of unusual offerings…