Is the booze flavor critical in chicken liver pate?

I want to make chicken liver pate. I notice that the majority of recipes call for brandy/port etc. I know that if cooked, *most* of the alcohol will evaporate, but I need a recipe that contains zero percent alcohol. Being that most recipes have the booze in there, it seems like it might be an important flavor component. Just wondering if anyone has any substitution suggestions, or no booze recipes that won't leave it tasting like a sad version of the real thing?

Rhubarbara
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6 Comments

Susan W.
Susan W. September 1, 2015
I agree with everyone who have said it's not necessary. I have a great recipe for chopped liver (Jewish term for liver pate) from my best friend's mom. I'll dig it out. It really is delicious.
 
702551
702551 September 1, 2015
Emiko Davies who occasionally writes for Food52 has published her adaptation of Pellegrino Artusi's chicken liver pate ("Crostini di Fegatini di Pollo") from his 1891 classic "La Scienza in cucina e l'Arte di mangiar bene." There is no alcohol in her version

http://www.emikodavies.com/blog/artusi-may-tuscan-chicken-liver-pate/

nor that of Artusi's original version. I own that cookbook and have made that recipe many times, but often adding a splash of cognac. Bwahaha. ;-)
 
Nancy
Nancy September 1, 2015
For a proven recipe without alcohol, search Google, allrecipes, shiksa kitchen, chabad or Aish websites for "chopped liver" the Jewish version of chicken lived pate. Many variations but most did not use alcohol.
 
Nancy
Nancy September 1, 2015
Here are two recipes to add to your hopper.
* one traditional recipe made with schmaltz, onion, liver, hard boiled eggs, s&p, optional parsley & gribenes
toriavey.com/toris-kitchen/2010/06/chopped-liver/
*one modern by Erez Komarovsky (Israeli chef and cooking school teacher) uses fruity olive oil, leeks, liver, white & green peppercorns, cumin & mustard seeds
http://www.jannagur.com/108704/Erez--s-chopped-liver
 
amysarah
amysarah September 1, 2015
It would be a shame not to have pate, because of that. I'd try adding some other flavor element - an herb like sage, or maybe some reduced apple juice (to sub for Calvados, which is nice in pate.) Also, chopped liver is pate's cousin, and my mother's was extra delicious because she deeply caramelized the onions before grinding them with the liver - so maybe try that (or caramelized shallot) to add flavor oomph to the pate.
 
PieceOfLayerCake
PieceOfLayerCake September 1, 2015
I'm of the mind that alcohol in a recipe is always optional. If you want chicken liver pate, and you can't have alcohol, I say just go for it and don't even think about the repercussions.
 
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