CHICKEN AND APPLE SPREAD
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter salted or unsalted
- 1 medium tart apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch (2-cm)Â dice
- 3 shallots or 1 small onion, peeled and finely minced
- 1 pound (450 g) chicken livers, cleaned of any veins or dark spots, rinsed, and blotted dry with a paper towel Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ÂĽ cup (60 ml) heavy cream
- ÂĽ cup (60 ml) Calvados, Cognac, or Armagnac
- Pinch of chile powder or ground nutmeg
- A few drops of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- Fleur de sel or flaky sea salt
Instructions:
The word pâté doesn’t mean “terribly difficult, snooty French food.” It can refer to any meat-rich spread, which is everyday fare in France and not meant to be reserved for special occasions. You can easily make and enjoy pâté no matter where you live, and this recipe takes less than a half an hour to put together, so there’s no excuse not to give it a go.
- In a large skillet, melt half the butter over medium heat. Add the apple and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring only once or twice, until the apples are browned and completely soft. Scrape the apples into a bowl.
-  Melt the rest of the butter in the same pan. Add the shallots and cook for a minute or two, stirring constantly, until soft.
- Add the livers, season them with salt and pepper, and cook for about 3 minutes longer, until they’re firm on the outside but still quite pink within.
- Add the cream, then the liqueur, to the pan. (If you add the liqueur first, it can flame up.) Add the chile powder and continue to cook for about 3 minutes more, scraping the bottom of the pan to release any browned bits, until the pan liquids are slightly reduced. You’ll know the livers are done when a test liver cut in half is just cooked through and the pan juices are the consistency of thin gravy.
-  Add the livers to the bowl of apples along with the liquid and all the appetizing brown bits left in the skillet. Let rest until no longer steaming hot.
- Puree the livers, apples, and any juices in a food processor until completely smooth. Taste, adding more chile powder and salt if desired and lemon juice to taste. The pâté will seem runny at this point, but will firm up as it chills. Scrape the pâté into a decorative serving bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight.
- SERVING: Bring the pâté to room temperature. Smear the pâté on little toasts, sprinkle with a tiny bit of fleur de sel or other delicate sea salt, and serve as an hors d’oeuvre. Ice-cold rosé makes the perfect accompaniment, especially in the summer.