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Vietnamese Chicken Liver Pâté for Banh Mi

Vietnamese Banh Mi finds its heart and soul in the rich essence of liver pâté. Our version of Vietnamese Pâté boasts a wonderfully buttery taste and the lingering fragrance of 5-spice, an experience that will stay with you long after that first delightful bite!

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
30 mins
Servings: 4 people
Course: Condiments
Cuisine: Vietnamese

Ingredients

  • 1 lbs chicken or pork livers (500g)
  • 0.9 lb ground pork (20% fat) (400g)
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic 
  • 2 tbsp minced shallots (optional)
  • 2 tbsp store-bought crispy fried onions (optional)
  • ¼ tsp Vietnamese 5-spice powder
  • ½ large onion (sliced or chopped)
  • 1 stick butter (8 tbsp / 100g)
  • 5 tbsp cooking oil
  • 2 wedges Laughing Cow cheese (optional)
  • 2½ tsp chicken powder (adjust to your taste)
  • 1 tsp salt (adjust to your taste)
  • ½ tbsp sugar (adjust to your taste)
  • 1½ tbsp black pepper powder (adjust to your taste)
  • 2 slices sandwich bread (optional)
  • 1½ cup full-cream milk (375ml)

Instructions

Prepare the ingredients:
    Cup of Yum
  1. To prepare the livers, remove the tough connective tissue or yellow/white fatty parts. Cut them into bite-sized pieces if you use pork livers.
  2. Soak the livers in whole milk for at least 30 minutes or refrigerate overnight. Strain and rinse the livers thoroughly to remove any remaining milk.
  3. Soak the sandwich in the leftover milk to soften it (about 15 minutes).
Cook the pâté:
  1. In a pan, heat cooking oil. Once hot, add minced shallots and stir-fry for approximately 30 seconds. Then, add minced garlic (be cautious as garlic can easily burn).
  2. Once the shallots and garlic turn golden and crispy, remove them quickly from the oil to prevent burning. Keep around 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan and add the livers.
  3. Cook the livers for around 7 minutes or until cooked but still slightly pink inside. Season the livers with chicken powder and five-spice powder. Set them aside.
  4. In another pan, melt the butter and cook the sliced onion until it becomes fragrant. Add the ground pork and stir-fry until it is just cooked. Next, add the cooked livers and the soaked sandwich to the ground pork. Stir the mixture until everything is well-combined.
  5. Season it with salt, chicken powder, black pepper, and sugar according to your taste. Let the mixture cool down for 30 minutes.
  6. Once the mixture has cooled, transfer it to a food processor. Add the fried shallots and garlic (including the oil), fried crispy onions (if available), and laughing cow cheese (optional) to the food processor.
  7. Process the mixture until it reaches your desired smoothness. Adjust the texture of the pate according to your preference.
  8. Transfer it to a container and refrigerate it to allow it to firm up before serving.
Steam the pâté (optional):
  1. To enhance the flavor and texture further, Vietnamese tradition often steam the pate for about 1 hour on medium-low heat or 7 minutes using an Instant Pot on low pressure.
  2. Before steaming, transfer the pate to a mold and cover it with cling film or aluminum foil to prevent water from getting in.
  3. After steaming, let the pate cool down. Then, chill it in the fridge before serving.

Notes

  • Avoid overcooking livers to keep them from turning bitter and dry.
  • For the perfect Vietnamese pâté with a touch of pink inside, let it cool completely after steaming and chill in the fridge before serving.
  • Season the pâté to your liking once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • To prevent the pâté from drying out, add a layer of melted butter on top. In traditional recipes, pork fat or bacon usually lines the mold, but I skipped this step for a healthier version.
  • When storing the Vietnamese pâté, divide it into smaller portions and store in Zip-Top Freezer Bags. Keep in the freezer for about 3 months and defrost the desired amount when needed.
  • Avoid overcooking livers to keep them from turning bitter and dry.
  • For the perfect Vietnamese pâté with a touch of pink inside, let it cool completely after steaming and chill in the fridge before serving.
  • Season the pâté to your liking once all the ingredients are thoroughly combined.
  • To prevent the pâté from drying out, add a layer of melted butter on top. In traditional recipes, pork fat or bacon usually lines the mold, but I skipped this step for a healthier version.
  • When storing the Vietnamese pâté, divide it into smaller portions and store in Zip-Top Freezer Bags. Keep in the freezer for about 3 months and defrost the desired amount when needed.