Liver pâté flavored with raisins

Spiced liver pâté with raisins

The first time I made this pâté was one morning, out of curiosity. I had chicken liver and leftover raisins from another dessert. I didn’t expect it to turn out special, but it quickly disappeared from the table and became a regular in my quick breakfast recipes or for unexpected guests. The recipe isn’t complicated, and the result is creamy and delicate, with a flavor that slightly deviates from the classic pâté.

Quick Info

Total time: approximately 40-50 minutes (including cooling)
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes (plus cooling)
Servings: 6-8, depending on molds
Difficulty: easy
Recipe type: appetizer, quick snack, or for festive platters

Ingredients

500 g chicken liver
75 g raisins (of which 30 g are used in the pâté, the rest for decoration)
1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil
1 small cube of butter
1 pinch of cinnamon
1 pinch of nutmeg
1 pinch of star anise
non-iodized salt, to taste
a little dry white wine (just enough to cover the raisins for soaking; the rest for blending)
1 drop of basil essential oil (or a little dried basil)
a little oil for greasing the molds

Preparation Method

1. Soak the raisins in dry white wine. You only need 30 g for the mixture; the rest is kept for decoration. The leftover wine after soaking the raisins is not discarded; it will be used for blending.

2. Wash the chicken liver well and drain it. Place it in a pot with a tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the liver over medium heat, covered, for about 15 minutes, until it softens and has no liquid.

3. After cooking, let it cool for a few minutes. Do not put it hot in the blender.

4. Place the cooled liver in the blender, add 30 g of soaked raisins, the butter cube, the spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, star anise), salt to taste, and the basil. Start blending, gradually adding the leftover wine from the raisins, just enough to help the blender form a fine paste. Generally, 2-3 tablespoons are sufficient.

5. Blend for 1 minute or until everything becomes a very fine, homogeneous paste. If necessary, add a little more wine.

6. Grease small molds with oil and fill them with the pâté while it’s still slightly warm. Level it off.

7. Refrigerate for a few hours until well chilled and firm.

8. When serving, remove the pâté from the molds and decorate with the remaining raisins. If no soaked raisins are left, plain ones work too.

Why I make this recipe often

Because it’s quick and I use ingredients I almost always have on hand. It’s good for breakfast and on cold platters for guests. It can be made in advance, and the taste is not a bland classic pâté. The texture is very fine, and the raisins add a pleasant note without overpowering the other flavors.

Tips and Variations

Tips

Do not put hot liver in the blender, or the butter will melt too quickly and may leave water.
Do not add all the wine at once while blending; only add enough to blend the paste well.
If you don’t have basil essential oil, a little crushed dried basil is sufficient. Don’t overdo it.
Substitutions

You can use turkey liver, but it comes out denser. I do not recommend other types of meat for this recipe.
Dry white wine can be replaced with a semi-dry wine if you prefer a rounder taste, but not with sweet wine.
Cold-pressed olive oil can be replaced with another neutral oil, but the taste changes slightly.
Variations

You can add a very small pinch of pepper or pink pepper for a subtle accent.
If you don’t want raisins on top, you can omit them.
Serving Ideas

It goes well on toasted bread or on thin slices of baguette.
You can put it in small molds for appetizer platters.
I also like it as a filling in cold savory pancakes, sliced.
Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can I use brown or golden raisins? Yes, either works, as long as they are soft after soaking.

2. What blender is suitable? Any blender that can finely chop cooked liver and the other ingredients. A small one with metal blades is sufficient.

3. What should I do if the pâté turns out too soft? Leave it in the fridge for a few hours; it usually firms up. If it’s still too soft, you probably added too much wine; next time reduce the amount.

4. Can you taste the alcohol from the wine? No, at the amount used and after cooling, the wine flavor is very discreet, and the alcohol evaporates when in contact with the warm liver.

5. What can I do if I don’t have star anise? You can omit it, or add a very small amount of ground fennel, but it’s not mandatory.

Nutritional Values (estimates)

For a serving of approximately 70 g pâté:
Calories: approx. 140 kcal
Protein: 8 g
Fat: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 8 g

The values are indicative, depending on the liver used and the amount of butter/wine. Raisins and butter slightly increase the sugar and fat values.

Storage and Reheating

It can be stored in the fridge, covered, for 3-4 days without issues. I do not recommend freezing; the texture does not remain as fine after thawing. There’s no point in reheating it – it’s served cold, directly from the fridge. If you want to keep it longer, make smaller portions and store them in well-sealed containers.

 Ingredients: Ingredients: 500 g chicken liver, 75 g raisins, non-iodized salt to taste, 1 tablespoon cold-pressed olive oil, a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of nutmeg, a pinch of star anise, a little dry white wine, 1 drop of basil essential oil (or a little dried basil), 1 cube of butter, a little oil for greasing the molds.

 Tags:  liver pate cake with raisins