Liver makes a popular spread in many countries and cultures all over the world. In Ukraine where I live Chicken Liver Pashtet is one of the most common appetizers or bar snacks you will find. It is often served with slices of homemade bread or toast. Making your own homemade pashtet is so easy you may never go back to buying store-bought again!
I often have sealed jars of homemade liver paste in my refrigerator because it makes such a great snack. I can be lazy and all I need to get for a nice bite to eat is a loaf of bread. Spread on some homemade chicken liver pashtet and voila – an easy and tasty snack while watching tv or working on the computer.
I also find pate served at dinner or cocktail parties can elevate the atmosphere and bring a bit of old world elegance to your event. By the way, pate does not just mean liver. You can make it with white meat, fat, vegetables, or even fish like mackerel or sardines.
A traditional liver pashtet is a great way to use the offal of an animal. If you, like me, prefer no waste when butchering a rabbit for example, make a pate from its liver, kidneys, and heart for a no waste, umami-packed spread.
How To Make A Ukrainian Style Chicken Liver Pashtet
The main difference between Western European style liver pastes and the Ukrainian version is that here we fry all the main ingredients before making the paste. Chicken liver pashtet also tends to be a bit sweeter here than other places because when you cook down the onions and carrots it caramelizes a lot of the natural sugars.
Ingredients
- 650 grams Chicken Livers – cleaned from any viscera that normally attach the liver to the insides of the animal.
- 3 medium Onions – yellow onions preferably
- 1 large Carrot – I know the picture above shows two large carrots – that makes the final pashtet VERY sweet. My wife likes it like that, so I often make it like that, but stick with one or you may think this dish is dessert.
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Black Pepper – freshly cracked
- 2 tsp Salt – or to taste. Start with one teaspoon, and test it after blending/mixing to see if it needs more.
- 200 grams Butter – 82% fat or higher
- Other Herbs & Spices – You can add other things you think might go well in this like oregano, paprika, chili powder etc. Think of my recipe as an outline and customize it as you see fit.
In a pan on medium heat add a couple tablespoons of butter and slowly saute the chopped onion. You don’t want to spend hours doing a proper caramelization, but at least 30 minutes to greatly reduce and sweeten them.
Do the same thing with the shredded carrot, although here you just need to cook until the carrot is softened. It should take just about 5-10 minutes. As you finish cooking all the ingredients, add them to a large bowl.
Lastly add the cleaned chicken livers to the pan and fry them until they are cooked through. Liver cooks quite quickly so this step is actually the quickest. Just add the liver there and fry for 3-4 minutes, checking to make sure you aren’t burning them. When cooked place in the bowl.
After you remove the cooked chicken liver from the pan lower the heat to medium and place there the rest of the butter. When the butter is melted pour it into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients along with the salt, pepper, and any spices or herbs you want to use.
Blend all the ingredients completely until you have a homogenous mixture. I like to use my Kitchenaid cordless stick blender since it makes quick work of all the soft ingredients. You can also use a food processor or standing blender if you find them easier or more available.
Move your pashtet to a sealable jar or container and let cool completely before placing in the fridge. Some people like to mold pashtet into pretty shapes when having guests over for the holidays, so you can do that as well. Serve with fresh bread or toast and enjoy!
Chicken Liver Pashtet
Equipment
- 1 Stick Blender | or food processor or stand blender or meat grinder
- 1 Pan | for frying
- 1 Bowl
Ingredients
- 650 grams Chicken Livers cleaned from any viscera that normally attach the liver to the insides of the animal.
- 3 medium Onions yellow onions preferably
- 1 large Carrot I know the picture above shows two large carrots – that makes the final pashtet VERY sweet. My wife likes it like that so I often make it like that, but stick with one or you may think this dish is dessert.
- 5 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Black Pepper freshly cracked
- 2 tsp Salt or to taste. Start with one teaspoon and test it after blending/mixing to see if it needs more.
- 200 grams Butter 82% fat or higher
- Other Herbs & Spices You can add other things you think might go well in this like oregano paprika, chili powder etc. Think of my recipe as an outline and customize it as you see fit.
Instructions
- In a traditional Ukrainian liver paste you have to fry all the main ingredients before mixing so prep your ingredients. Chop your onions, grate your carrots, and clean your livers from any membranes or other viscera.
- In a pan add two tbsp of butter on medium-low heat and slowly fry the onions until they are about halfway to a proper caramelization. It should take no quicker than 30 minutes, and you can cook for longer if you like.
- While the onions are reducing, set up another pan for the carrot and liver. Add butter to each and fry for about 10 minutes for the carrot and 3-4 for the liver. Do this all at the same time to save time.
- When the frying is done, add the stuff to a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Melt the rest of the butter in a pan and pour it into the bowl in liquid form.
- Use a stick blender or other blender/food processor to turn everything in the bowl into a smooth homogenous paste. Put the pashtet into sealable jars and let cook completely before placing in the fridge to solidify. Serve with bread or toast and enjoy!
