Can You Freeze Pate? And How To Cook Pate In The Instant Pot
Do you want to cook homemade liver pate and learn how to freeze it? If so you’ve come to the right place.
Pate is a real treat for my family. Both my mom and dad love pate and it was also one of my grandpa’s favourite foods.
When we make homemade pate, there is usually plenty leftover which is why we like to freeze pate in the freezer.
I love pate recipes and I’m so happy you do too! This post is loaded with great tips for making the best Chicken Liver pate along with other pate recipes. Check them out!
Contents
What is Liver Pate
Liver pate is a dish made from liver and onions. It was originally created by the Romans in the first century, but its popularity began to grow during the 1700s when it became a staple dish in French cuisine.
Today, liver pate is often served as an appetiser to wet the appetite for a larger meal or it is used as a spread on breads and crackers.
Liver pate is traditionally made by cooking liver and onions in various ways, such as boiling or frying. I like to cook homemade Pate in the Instant Pot. The cooked ingredients are then mashed together until they form a smooth paste-like consistency.
What Types Of Pate Can You Make?
As pate is made from liver there are several different types of pate that you can make these include:
- Chicken Liver Pate
- Pork Liver Pate
- Duck Liver Pate
- Turkey Liver Pate
- Beef Liver Pate
- Salmon Pate
If you’re not a fan of meat or liver you can make vegetarian pate using mushrooms or make a date pate with walnuts. This makes a great gourmet dish which everyone can enjoy.
Is Chicken liver pate healthy to eat?
Chicken liver pate is a rich source of essential fatty acids, protein and Iron. Chicken liver contains plenty of vitamins:
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin E
Chicken liver pate also has the following minerals:
- copper
- Choline
- Folate
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
There are plenty of health benefits to Chicken Liver Pate and other pates and liver is a great food to eat if your Iron levels need to increase. With only 1g of carbs, no sugar and 2 grams of fat per tablespoon, chicken pate liver is a great food to eat with plenty of benefits.
How Long Can You Keep Pate in The Fridge?
The answer to the question “How Long Can You Keep Pate in The Fridge?” is that it can be stored for up to 1 week after opening. Liver Pate should be kept at a temperature of 40° F or below to stay fresh.
Homemade liver pate that is made from fresh ingredients with no preservatives has a short half-life in comparison to store bought pate and so homemade liver pate can only stay in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Salmon pate however can only stay in the fridge for one day. It has a much shorter shelf life and therefore if you have plenty left over, it’s good to freeze straight away.
Is Pate OK To Eat After Use By Date?
It is usually safe to consume food after the use by date has passed, but it is best to avoid pre-packaged foods which are more likely to be past their expiration dates.
Pate is a type of food that can be eaten after the use by date has passed, but it needs to be refrigerated and consumed promptly.
If you are unsure about whether your pate is still edible, you should avoid eating it.
How To Freeze Pate
Freezing pâté is a great way to preserve it and make it last longer. Follow this step-by-step plan to freeze your pate correctly.
- Cut the pâté into small portions.
- Place your pate into airtight containers
- Label the type of meat and add the date onto your container. This will ensure you know how long it has been in the freezer when you come to thaw it.
- Store your Liver pate for up to 3 months in the freezer.
Factors to consider before freezing Pâté
Before you freeze your bought or homemade pate, make sure you have the right tools. You’ll need:
- containers or a zip lock bag,
- a small knife,
- a chopping board
- a marker pen.
It will be wise to work out just how much pate you need for one meal or serving. Then you can divide your pate cubes into portions large enough to thaw as and when you need it.
How to Defrost Frozen Pâté?
When you are ready to defrost your Pate, simply find the container or airtight bag in your freezer and pop it into the refrigerator so it can thaw slowly overnight.
Thawing pate overnight is my preferred method for defrosting liver pate, however you can submerge the cubes (within your zip lock bag) in a bowl of water as another method of defrosting.
Frozen pate will have a different texture and flavour to fresh pate and by thawing it slowly you will ensure it is chilled and perfect for serving at your next party or meal.
How Long Does it Take For Pate To Defrost?
When thawing your Liver pate in the fridge it can take between 12 to 24 hours to defrost. Therefore it is important to take your pate out of the freezer a least one day before you plan to eat it.
Should Pate be served at room temperature?
The answer is yes! Pate is a great starter or light meal option and it should be served either cold or at room temperature. We love to have pate with crackers on Christmas morning, alongside a variety of cheeses, meats, pickles and olives.
How Do You Eat Pate?
So what is the best way to serve pate?
Personally I love pate on crackers or as part of a charcuterie board. Pate is rich and tastes delicious as an appetiser alongside cured meats, cheese, veggies, nuts, olives, dried fruits and crackers.
Grandpa however loved his chicken liver pate on a sandwich and even had pate on toast. Pate sandwiches were his favourite lunch time meal. He always had a pate sandwich and hot chocolate every day.
Other ways you can enjoy pate are:
- As a dip: Use carrots and other vegetables to dip into your homemade pate.
- On a French Stick. You can spread your favourite pate onto french sticks and enjoy as a light lunch or snack.
- As a Filler. You can stuff pate into peppers or tomatoes to create delicious gourmet appetisers for a wedding or special occasion.
- Pate and Eggs. If you’re looking for a low carb keto breakfast option, why not try chicken liver pate with eggs. This is delicious and filling and can make a fancy breakfast option any time.
How To Cook Pate In The Instant Pot
So you want to make a batch of pate? You can make pate on the stove top but I prefer to cook pate in the Instant Pot.
The Instant Pot is a great kitchen appliance that allows you to cook in a variety of ways. To cook Pate in the Instant Pot you’ll need to use both the saute and pressure cooker functions.
If you don’t have an Instant Pot then you can find one on the Instant Brands website. They have a great deal at the moment.
Chicken Liver Pate Ingredients
To make chicken liver pate you will need chicken livers. If you choose to make another type of pate simply switch the chicken liver to pork livers, or beef livers, depending on what you have.
The main ingredients are:
Chicken Livers – You will need 3/4 of a pound or 340 grams of liver.
Onion – You need one large onion roughly chopped.
Olive Oil – A tablespoon of olive oil is needed for the saute process.
Bay Leafs – You’ll need one bay leaf for a subtle minty flavour.
Chicken Stock – You need 1/2 a cup for the pressure cooking process. If cooking another type of liver, you may want to use beef stock or vegetable stock as an alternative.
Cranberries or Cranberry Jam – Add 1 tablespoon of cranberries or jam as an optional flavouring.
Butter – You will need one tablespoon of butter.
Salt and Pepper – Add to taste.
How To Make Chicken Liver Pate
So you’re ready to begin your Chicken liver pate recipe! First chop your onion roughly and place into your instant pot with the olive oil.
Press the saute function on your Instant pot and saute the onions for 1-2 minutes until soft.
Next add the chicken liver pieces and the bayleaf and sear the liver for around 2 minutes.
Once this is done, you will need to deglaze you Instant Pot. Do this by pouring the chicken stock into your inner pot. Scrape the bottom of the pot to ensure there are no food particles stuck to the base of the pot.
Once done, add the optional tablespoon of cranberries or cranberry jam to the pot. Finally add salt and pepper to taste.
How Long To Pressure Cook Liver Pate?
The next step to cooking your chicken liver pate is to close and lock the lid on your Instant Pot. Set on high pressure for 3 minutes and complete a quick release as soon as the time is up.
How To Pan Fry Chicken Liver Pate?
If you don’t have a pressure cooker, then you can saute the ingredients in a frying pan and continue to cook the liver pate for around 8 minutes.
How To Blend Your Chicken Liver Pate
Now that your chicken livers and onions are cooked, you will need to blend them relatively quick. The most efficient way to do this is to use a blend stick but if you don’t have one you can pop the cooker chicken livers into a blender.
Use a Blend Stick
Blend the chicken livers and add the butter to the pate mixture. You are now ready to place the pate into a container or tray. Allow the pate to cool in the fridge ready to serve later.
If you’re planning to freeze your pate then you can cut it into cubes once the mixture has chilled in the refrigerator.
Can You Freeze Chicken Liver Pate?
Does chicken liver pate freeze well? The answer is yes, simply follow the instructions in the How to freeze pate section and you can have a good batch of chicken liver pate stocked in your freezer!
So long as you use the pate within 3 months and defrost it slowly, your chicken liver pate will taste just fine!
What Is The Most Popular Pate?
Liver pate is considered a gourmet dish and is increasingly popular in France and the UK. In fact Liver pate is common across many northern and eastern European countries. This is probably why it’s been so popular in my family.
Grandpa has french ancestors. His great grandfather Eugene Wood came from Baccarat, Meuthe et Moselle, France and I’m guessing grandpa’s love of pate sandwiches comes from there!
The most popular pate dish would have to be foie gras. This is a pate made from the liver of duck and geese.
Can You Eat Pate When Pregnant?
Pate is not recommended for women who are pregnant. The reason for this is because pate can sometimes have high levels of listeria, even in fish or vegetable pate. Therefore midwives advise against eating pate during pregnancy to protect a baby’s development. Be sure to remember this when you have guest over if you’re serving a light meal or appetiser to a pregnant friend.
Can Dogs Eat Pate?
Seriously, my dog casper loves all kinds of meat and no doubt he would love to try chicken liver pate in all it’s glory. However my Chicken liver pate recipe and many pate recipes contain onions. Onions are dangerous for dogs as is garlic, therefore if I wanted to cook pate for my dog I’d ensure I skipped the onions.
Everything else in my Chicken Liver recipe is dog friendly and I’d even add it to rice and veg if I was wanting to give my dog a healthy and delicious home made Instant pot meal.
Making Different Types of Pate In Your Instant Pot
Making pate can be fun, especially when using your Instant pot. However you don’t have to stick to simply chicken liver pate. You can try some different meats. Just remember to saute the meats first and pressure cook them for at least 3 minutes.
The Best Pate Recipes Online
If you’re looking for the best pate recipes online them you may want to try one of the following. Good luck with your homemade pate and I hope this post gave you plenty of useful tips and ideas for cooking Pate both in the Instant Pot and the frying pan as well as teaching you the best methods for freezing and defrosting Liver pate.
