Duck Liver Pâté

Duck Liver Pâté in a bowl, served with toast

The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Prep: 20 mins
Cook: 3 mins
Soak and Chill Time: 26 hrs
Total: 26 hrs 23 mins
Servings: 16 servings

If you can't afford expensive goose liver foie gras, try this simple-but-elegant pâté recipe using less-expensive duck livers.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces duck livers, rinsed and cleaned

  • 1 cup milk

  • 2 cups heavy cream

  • 1 whole star anise

  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt

  • 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Duck Liver Pâté ingredients in bowls

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  2. Soak duck livers in the milk for at least 2 hours at room temperature.

    Duck liver and milk in a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  3. After 2 hours, drain and rinse under cool water.

    Duck liver in a strainer over a bowl

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  4. If you are using frozen, milk-soaked livers, simply allow them to thaw under refrigeration. Then drain and rinse under cool water.

  5. In a small saucepan, bring the duck livers, heavy cream, star anise, and salt to a boil. Reduce to simmer, and cook for 3 minutes. Remove the star anise and discard.

    Duck livers, heavy cream, star anise, and salt in a saucepan with a wooden spoon

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  6. Remove the duck livers from the pan and place them in a food processor bowl fitted with the metal blade. Add about 1/2 cup of the hot cream and process until combined. With the motor running, slowly add the rest of the cream in a steady stream.

    Duck liver and cream in a food processor

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  7. Process until smooth, pausing to scrape down sides with a spatula as needed. Add pepper and pulse until combined.

    Pureed duck liver mixture in a food processor, next to a spatula

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

  8. Scrape duck liver pâté into a bowl or several small crocks and cool to room temperature. Cover with plastic wrap touching the top of the pâté and chill for at least 24 hours before serving. Store in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

    Duck Liver Pâté in a bowl, served with toast

    The Spruce Eats / Cara Cormack

Recipe Variations

  • If you are using frozen, milk-soaked livers, simply allow them to thaw under refrigeration. Then drain and rinse under cool water.
  • This also can be made with chicken livers in place of the duck livers. Or use this Jewish chicken liver pâté recipe (better known as chopped chicken liver).

Ways to Serve Pâté

  • As a spread: Any type of pâté is delicious on toasted bread. You can pre-spread and arrange the toast points on a pretty platter or let your guests serve themselves.

  • With eggs: Tuck it inside an omelet or serve it on the side of eggs made anyway for an unusual and delicious pairing.

  • On sandwiches: Who would have thought pâté would be a natural on a sandwich or burger. But it works.

  • With cheese and fruits: Spruce up a cheese platter with dried fruits, nuts, and cubes of formed pâté.

  • Stuffed into veggies: Creamy and spreadable pâté s can be stuffed into peppers, tomatoes, pickled mushrooms, and celery.

  • As a dip: Carrot and celery sticks are naturals but don't overlook tortilla chips for dipping into pâté.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
138 Calories
12g Fat
2g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 16
Amount per serving
Calories 138
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g 15%
Saturated Fat 7g 37%
Cholesterol 144mg 48%
Sodium 202mg 9%
Total Carbohydrate 2g 1%
Dietary Fiber 0g 0%
Total Sugars 2g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 1mg 6%
Calcium 41mg 3%
Iron 7mg 36%
Potassium 100mg 2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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