Chicken Liver Pate with Roasted Red Peppers on Toast
Bright floods of light fill the summer skies each day occasionally interrupted by a light shower, and one day last week the clearing skies formed the rings with rare multicolored prisms, a rainbow.
The rainbow having occurred on my way home following checking off one item on my ‘bucket list’ had me convinced that it must be some sort of El Signo, a sign, and some good omen just for me. Do you ever feel that way when some coincidence or situation occurs within a particular timing?
The bucket list experience was a teeny tiny one really, I mean all life dreams don’t need to involve climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, hunting a tiger on an African Safari, or sailing halfway around the world, right?
In my excitement after descending fifty steps around the metal curvature making my way across the brick lined walking path between streets, I realized I had forgotten my light sweater in the car and hoped it wouldn’t be too cold.
Small restaurants of different specialties and ethnic varieties dotted in between the strip making my way to the entrance with the heavy glass doors where the multicolored indoor- outdoor carpet snugged all around leading an incline to the old fashioned style ticket window.
The little white ticket said, CHEF.
Finding the correct corridor, I pulled the brass handled door to the dimly lit room illuminating the wooden beamed ceiling with matching colored laminate panels. Both side shaped in the slight semicircular fashion with wooden flip seat chairs set with the right hand side arm- rest hosting a cup holder. I happily sat. Contentedly. All by Myself. At the Movies.
Sitting square center as the previews rolled along, I glanced about, two people on the front tier, one person in a cozy corner, others in small groups of three and four scattered all about, but no more than twenty-five viewers. The pure clarity of music from the sound system alerted the senses, the anticipation of the big gigantic screen opened up just to me. I settled in. Sigh. Showtime.
And then it happened. Along with the opening scene of CHEF in the restaurant kitchen, the side door with the brass handles swung open, a huge crack of light from the outside glaring in. She was a blonde, a bit older than me, rustling bags and purses in theatrical style assisting an elderly white haired woman pushing a wheeled metal walker that probably squeaked.
The hustle, the bustle, resembling a scene from a Seinfeld show, the woman guiding her companion made her way straight through, situating her movie partner, and herself by plopping noisily down- Right-Next- To- Me! It was a near empty movie theater! There were a whole theater full of empty seats including the very same row surrounding me! I wanted no companions, it was on my Bucket List after all: Go to a movie by myself. Beginning scenes rolled on as next I had to lift up my purse and move it to the opposite side beneath the cup holder to make room for her. Was she kidding me?! Exasperating, Faux Pas. Definitely. Urgh.
The social gaffe was all as bad as CHEF having to prepare the same old common stuff, that had always worked in the restaurant, well, according to restaurant owner, Dustin Hoffman.
While Chef was desperately trying to impress an important restaurant critic with fresh, new creative dishes in his anticipated dining experience that evening, the owner brought it all to an abrupt stop. Easy it was to understand the dilemma, yes, as an example, oysters on the half shell might have always sold, but what about creativity and a few new twists on old favorites, surely a talented chef needs this freedom to flourish?
I loved the movie Chef finding it both inspiring and uplifting. Elated too, I had also checked an item off my bucket list on going to a movie by myself.
And the rainbow afterward, El Signo, a promise perhaps that just like the movie which features a twist where the Chef takes a career detour preparing Cuban sandwiches, later on owning a food truck, I was happy for the moment to accomplish one little item on my bucket list and later on prepare any interesting dish I wanted as I later enjoyed crusty bites between creamy Chicken Liver Pate with Roasted Red Peppers on Toast.
Chicken Liver Pate with Roasted Red Peppers on Toast
Notes
Recipe may be doubled.
Ingredients
- For the Chicken Liver Pate
- 10 ounces chicken livers, cleaned- any stringy sinew removed, patted dry, and chopped
- 3 1/2 tablespoons butter, sliced
- 1 small shallot, diced
- 5 tablespoons brandy
- 5 tablespoons heavy cream, a bit more or less as desired
- small pinch nutmeg
- 1/2-1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more according to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
- For the Roasted Pepper Topping:
- 2 roasted red peppers, fresh or jarred, chopped
- 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley
- Couple small pinches coarse kosher salt
- One generous pinch cracked black pepper
- For the Assembly: 1 baguette, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees, slice baguette, brush with olive oil and heat on a baking sheet for about ten minutes until bread is just crisped
- Preparing the Roasted Red Peppers: Into a glass bowl, combine the peppers, garlic, and parsley, sprinkle with salt and pepper, check and adjust seasoning, chill until serving
- Preparing the Chicken Liver Mousse: Heat a large sized nonstick saute pan, drop in the butter to melt, stir in the shallots and cook on low heat until softened and translucent, a few minutes. Raise the burner temperature to medium high, add in the chicken livers spreading around the pan so livers are not crowded and all in one layer, shake pan then stir lightly turning chicken livers as they begin lightly browning, around two to three minutes each side. Pour in the brandy, then tip the pan slightly to flame, shaking the pan vigorously until the flame subsides, about twenty seconds. Continue cooking another few minutes until the brandy has evaporated and absorbed into the chicken livers and the livers are just cooked, a very mild pink, turn off heat.
- Transfer cooked chicken liver mixture to a food processor, pulse a few times until beginning to smooth, sprinkle in the nutmeg, then drizzle in the heavy cream continuing to briefly pulse until the mixture is smooth. Remove pate mixture to a glass bowl, stir in salt and pepper, check seasoning and adjust to taste. Chill until serving.
- For the Assembly: Spread Chicken Liver Mousse on top of baguette slices, topping with the Roasted Red Peppers
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