RECIPES FROM 1979

Pâté Maison

A silken, old-fashioned chicken liver pâté enriched with butter, brandy & herbs.

WORTH MAKING AGAIN

1 HOUR + CHILL

SERVES 10-12

ABOUT THE RECIPE

Of all the recipes in my grandmother’s 1979 hospital cookbook, Pâté Maison is the one Mum thinks she may have contributed. Chicken livers are cooked with onion, garlic and herbs, then blended with butter and brandy and pressed through a fine sieve. Finished with an optional clarified-butter cap, it is unapologetically rich and gloriously old-school.

JUMP TO RECIPE

THE ORIGINAL RECIPE

Original 1979 Ward 9 cookbook page for Pâté Maison.

THE MODERN CONVERSION

From 1979 to today’s kitchen.

The original recipe, reworked with clearer measurements, modern steps and everything you need to make it now.

Ingredients

55 g unsalted butter

2 medium brown onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

450 g trimmed chicken livers

1 teaspoon fine salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

170 g unsalted butter, softened

30 ml brandy

60 g extra unsalted butter, optional, for the clarified-butter cover

Method

Melt the 55 g butter in a large, wide frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring regularly, until softened and just beginning to change colour.

Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the trimmed chicken livers, mixed herbs, salt and pepper.

Fry the livers for 3–5 minutes, turning regularly so they cook evenly. Check the thickest piece with a clean digital thermometer and continue cooking as necessary until its centre reaches 70°C and remains at that temperature for at least two minutes.

Transfer the cooked liver mixture to a clean, shallow bowl and allow it to cool promptly until it is no longer warm.

Place the cooled mixture in a food processor or blender and process until as smooth as possible.

Press the mixture through a fine sieve using a flexible spatula. Scrape the smooth pâté from underneath the sieve and discard the coarse material left behind.

Beat the softened 170 g butter until creamy. Gradually mix the butter into the sieved liver mixture, then add the brandy and mix until completely combined, smooth and glossy.

Spoon the pâté into one large serving dish or two shallow ramekins. Tap gently against the bench to remove air pockets, smooth the surface and wipe the rims clean.

If omitting the clarified-butter cover, cover the pâté and refrigerate for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

10.

To add the optional cover, refrigerate the uncovered pâté for 30 minutes. Gently melt the extra 60 g butter in a small saucepan without stirring. Skim away the surface foam, then carefully pour the clear golden butter into a small jug, leaving the milky solids behind.

11.

Allow the clarified butter to cool until barely warm but still liquid. Pour a thin 1–2 mm layer over the chilled pâté, then return it to the refrigerator for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

12.

Remove the pâté from the refrigerator approximately 15 minutes before serving. Serve with toasted baguette and cornichons.

Recipe book compiled by Ward 9w Hutt Hospital December 1979 City Slicker.

THE TASTE TEST

So, was it worth making again?

The honest verdict after cooking from the 1979 page.

The Pâté Maison was smooth and creamy, with the familiar savoury flavour of a classic chicken pâté. It tasted exactly as I hoped it would, and I genuinely liked it.

We will never know whether this really was my grandmother’s recipe. But if it was, I would be proud to have it as part of our family’s story.