Stephencooks

Duck Liver Paté on Toast

This recipe was adapted from one in Jacques Pepin's Kitchen: Cooking with Claudine.

6 oz ground pork
2 large shallots, chopped
6 oz duck livers, cut to 1" pieces
1/2 tsp herbes de Province
2 cloves garlic, peeled, crushed
salt, black pepper or hot sauce, to taste
2 tsp Cognac
30 pine nuts, toasted
fresh tarragon

Brown the ground pork, add shallots, cook 30 sec more. Add livers, garlic, herb mixture, cook another 2 min on med. Season, transfer to blender, add Cognac and purée. Cool for about 90 min at room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. Garnish with some whole tarragon leaves and half the pine nuts...mince the rest of the tarragon leaves and pine nuts and scatter over the paté.

This was served on toast rounds following Julia's formula: French bread, cut in 1/2" slices, baked on a cookie sheet 30 min at 325º. Turn at 15 min and brush with olive oil, then when done (slightly golden, hard to touch) rub with a cut clove of garlic.