Bacon & Garlic Chicken Liver Pate

A popular belief is that the liver is a storage organ for toxins in the body. While it's true that one of the liver’s role is to neutralise toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons), it doesn’t store them. With all the health benefits you get from eating liver, it actually supports your body’s detoxification pathways. Some of the other health benefits of liver includes;

  • Gram for gram, liver contains more nutrients than ANY OTHER food.

  • High quality protein

  • Prevents anemia as it’s rich in iron

  • Natures most concentrated source of Vitamin A (which is rapidly depleted during times of stress and on a low-fat diet)

  • Contains all the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, K

  • One of the best sources of all the B Vitamins, particularly B12

  • Consuming liver helps your liver function better & aids in detox

  • Contains trace elements; chromium, zinc, copper

  • Contains anti-fatigue factor

  • Contains brain-building choline and more!

If you're curious to learn more about liver and how else you can start incorporating more of it into your diet, have a read of my blog 'Why Liver is a Superfood + How to Eat Liver - A Beginners Guide'. 

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 large brown onions, diced

  • 500g organic chicken livers (drain away the excess liquid)

  • 4-6 garlic cloves, crushed (or more! measure it with your heart)

  • 2-3 rashers of chemical free bacon, diced (remove the rind)

  • 1 tsp smoked paprika

  • 1 tsp black pepper

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/4 tsp cumin

  • 1 tsp onion powder

  • 1 tsp garlic powder

  • 100g grass-fed butter or ghee + 1-2 Tbsp for frying

  • Bone broth or filtered water for blending

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Add 1-2 Tbsp of butter or ghee to a large saucepan. Add the onions and fry until golden brown. 
2. Now add the bacon and garlic to the onions and fry until golden brown. 
3. When the onions, bacon and garlic are done, add the pepper, paprika and cumin. Fry this for another minute or until the spices are fragrant. 
4. Remove the onions, bacon and garlic from the frying pan (but leave the fat in the pan) and scoop it onto a plate while you cook the livers. 
5. Add the livers to the frying pan, make sure the pan is large enough so the livers aren't over crowded. You need them to fry not to boil in the fat. Once the livers have browned on the bottom, flip them over. Sprinkle the livers with the salt, onion and garlic powder and continue frying until cooked through. 
6. Now add the onion, garlic and bacon mix back into the pan and fry with the 100g of butter or ghee until all of the ingredients are caramelised and incredibly fragrant. The mixture should be a dark in colour, this develops the flavours and caramelises the ingredients perfectly. 
7. When it's ready, scoop all of the ingredients into a food processor or thermomix and blend into a paste. 
8. Add as much or as little chicken broth or water to the pate as needed to reach your desired consistency. If you like it super silky and smooth you may need to use roughly 1/4 - 1/2 cup.
9. Scoop the mixture into a container and store in the fridge. If stored in the fridge, eat within 1 week.

Tips

  • Freeze it in small containers and pull out of the freezer as needed

  • Mix a small amount into mince and use it to make hidden liver meatballs, rissoles or burger patties

  • Serve warm or cold with GF crackers or veggie sticks