If we never

Passport & Plate - Chicken liver pate

Poland | Friday, March 14, 2014 | 5 photos

Ingredients
1 pound (450g) chicken livers
1 medium sized onion
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp olive oil or butter
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp chilli powder
How to prepare this recipe
Wash the chicken livers. Cut away any strings/fat from the livers. Chop the onion into small pieces.
Heat the olive oil or butter in a frying pan. Either can be used, and work equally well, so it depends on your preference.
Add the onion, salt and pepper, and cook for a couple of minutes to soften the onion.
Add the chicken livers. You can also add the chilli powder for a little bit of kick. (This is my own adaptation to the recipe.)
Cook until the chicken livers are nicely browned on the outside, but still slightly pink on the inside. It should take about 5-7 minutes on a medium heat. Make sure you stir regularly during cooking. (You can cook them all the way through, if you would prefer. It should not affect the end result.)
Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool for a few minutes. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until there are no large chunks. It doesn’t need to be completely smooth - texture is tasty. Feel free to add some salt and black pepper to taste.
You can serve immediately on some fresh or toasted bread, or refrigerate before serving. It is excellent both ways.

The story behind this recipe

Although this is a relatively simple recipe, it is unlikely to be one many have thought to make at home, or even tasted.

Preparing and eating chicken liver pate takes me back to my Grandma’s kitchen when I was very young. I loved going to stay with her. It was always such a treat. Especially because, at the time, it seemed like there was always something cooking. In my childhood’s mind, she usually had more than one pot on the go, and the smells emanating from the kitchen always filled her small flat. Best of all, while her food had very basic ingredients, the results were always incredibly tasty.
My Grandma’s parents emigrated from Eastern Europe to Australia at the beginning of the twentieth century. Money was scarce and her mother worked several jobs, while raising and feeding eight children. My Grandma was forced to leave school at 13 to help support the family. I am certain that my Grandma picked up her cooking skills while helping out in her mother’s kitchen. This dish originated in Eastern Europe, where her Mother was born. The ingredients are relatively cheap, but make for a delicious, rich meal or snack. Indeed, even all these years later, when I am not so young anymore, my Grandma’s dishes continue to be made up of low-cost ingredients miraculously transformed into exquisite feasts.
Not only is this dish special to me because it evokes warm memories of my childhood, but it also just simply reminds me of my Grandma. My Grandma, who was there for me all those years ago, teaching and supporting me, continues to be one of my greatest fans. I could never do any wrong in her eyes, and I still can’t. We currently live on opposite sides of the world, but when I told her I regularly make her chicken liver pate with a spicy embellishment, you would have thought I’d told her I’d invented a revolutionary new dish. Such persistent faith of another in you most definitely gives you faith in yourself - to live, to experiment and to learn.