So I’m a little on a dip and spread obsession at the moment. I have these terrible “snacky” moments where I seem to need to nibble on something in between. Nuts and cheese are pretty good low carb options for snacks although nuts are hard to regulate and I often eat more than I should at a go.
So I decided to make some pate – I personally adore pate – having no personal prejudice against organ meats. Liver is a great source of iron and because of the fat content, is extremely satisfying and filling and I tend not to over-eat this. Kid#1 is a pate fan as well and I primarily made this for him so that he wouldn’t inhale all the rest of the snacks in the house. At the moment, kid#1 has been on a course in the army and has had to stay in camp except on the weekends. Of course there are no low carb options in camp and as he tries to eat only meat and vegetables and some protein bars when in camp, he comes home on the weekend completely ravenous. At the moment his nickname is the “Hoover” because he indiscriminately mows through the supply of low carb caramel and pancake syrups, low carb ice creams and all the nuts available in the house. Truth to tell, kid#2 and I have started to squirrel our personal food stashes in little hidey holes. Kid#2 was completely incensed last week when she discovered her brother had come into her room while she was asleep and snitched her jar of low carb peanut butter and finished it overnight. We had to make an emergency foray to the supermarket the very next day to soothe her very ruffled feathers.
Having low carb snack options is therefore an imperative in the home. That was why when friend M finally put up a new line of low carb products under the Ben Banter label, kid#1 immediately perked up. After messaging me to buy the products in the morning, by the evening he had sneakily inserted a note on my phone to keep me on task.
So yes, I got onto the website and did my first order. Kid#2 and I have sneakily not told him that we have a bag of granola hidden in a private corner that we have been dipping in. We figured that he can certainly wait. And anyway he can have the pate and not bother us for a while at least.
Japanese-style Chicken Liver Pate
Ingredients
- 500g chicken livers, trimmed
- 1/2 medium white onion, finely minced
- 2 – 3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 inch knob of old garlic, peeled and grated
- 1 tbsp thyme leaves
- 50 g butter plus another 2 tbsp for topping
- 50 ml sake
Methods
- Over low heat, melt 50 g butter.
- Gently sauté the minced onion and garlic, about 6-7 minutes (be careful not to overbrown this.
- Add the chicken livers and ginger, and gently cook, turning over the livers once in a while. Cook about another 5-6 minutes till the outside of the livers are cooked but the inside is still slightly pink.
- Add the thyme and sake and stir through for 1-2 minutes, then turn off the heat.
- Put the livers and liquid into a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly.
- Spoon the mixture into small ramekins or containers, making sure that the pate is pressed down and there are no pockets of air trapped. This makes about 4 ramekins of pate.
- Melt 2 tbsp butter in a clean pan. When melted, carefully spoon over the surfaces of pate and allow cooling.
- Put into the fridge overnight. Serve with low carb crackers or crudités.
Still Feeling Peckish 