Is it worth making your own pate?

[Buddleja]

Particularly chicken liver. I've made mackerel pate and it was nice - cheaper compared to buying it made in shops and it wasn't any hassle.

Now I really enjoy making stuff in the kitchen but I sort in the sense that a increase in difficulty must have a proportional increase in the improvement in taste from shop bought.

So has anyone made their own chicken liver pate and is it worth it?

Definitely not crackers!!

Served with toast.

How long will the chicken pate keep for? 2-3 days in the fridge? Or longer?

I'd say happily three days in the fridge, a couple of days longer if you make it in two batches and leave one sealed with the butter on top. Ours never really lasts that long . By the way, it is really nice with sliced pear!

So the butter seal does work? I am inspired, I shall try pate-making next week

Any reason for no crackers....have I been commiting a pate-faux-pas?!

I absolutely love digestives with pate and stinky cheese. Melba toast would be the usual accompaniment, or brioche (but I think brioche wrecks a good pate, personally). I like to make melba toasts with pita pockets where you regrill/toast them after you've split them. You can also use cookie cutters to do festive shapes!

at pate faux pas.

No faux pas. I just think it is nicer with toast and crackers are for cheese in my world.

ah, but fab, the question is then which toast?

Last year I just did regular white sliced, cold, with the crusts cut off but this year I am making home made bread to have with the pate.

I have done my menu and shopping list, just need to work out when I am going to go out and buy it all.

Nigel slater does a good pate. Lots of butter in it too, makes it silky and gorgeous. It is impossible to get wrong and really easy to make. You will never buy the shop stuff again, most of it is horrible anyway.

Just seen Jamie Oliver making his - seems simple enough

However i do now want an earthware bowl!!!

I make my own pate, and foie gras too. Sooo easy, and taste and quality much better than store bought. The most important thing is the quality of the livers themselves, and I source mine from a company which delivers to michelin * restaurants.

I see Fab and Sofa are upping the ante (gets online to find royal livers and rolls up sleeves to stir home-made starter for Christmas sourdough. )

Quick update ladies....I made both pates today.

The prawn pate is gorgeous, we had it with wheaten bread, hmm hmmm.

The chicken liver one is fabulous - only difference I made was I soaked the livers for about half an hour in milk first.

And, we're having it with toasted mini pittas, thank you 120.

DH now thinks I'm some sort of a Nigella-like godess, Thankyou mnetters.

Really glad they worked for you! I'll try the milk thing and if its better will update the blog recipe . Maybe you'll have to update your name to garciaNigellaSangria. I'm trying the prawn one this weekend. Will report back too!

Made mine today!! Will be sampled later!!

Have made the prawn pate and it is delicious too, thanks Fab!

I have my chicken liver pate ready to go and will make the prawn one again on thurs to go with it for our Christmas Eve starters.