I love hosting cocktail parties, and the best advice I was given from a catering master for hosting such parties was this: make half of your hors d’oeuvres and buy half. Brilliant! All too often we get caught up in elaborate menus and are exhausted by the time the guests arrive. It’s really not pretty answering the door when you’re all sweaty.

One of the things I love to make, but one would think was purchased from some fine delicatessen, is a creamy delicious pâté. Over the holidays Barnaby created a chicken liver pâté that proved at more than one party to be a crowd pleaser. In fact, among the spread of hors d’oeuvres his pâté clearly stood out as the gold winner, and best of all it was inexpensive to make and took only a few minutes.

Easy Crowd Pleaser Pâté

1 pound chicken livers
1 small yellow onion, sliced
Olive oil
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup heavy cream
Sel gris for garnish

Heat about one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook onions until soft. Add chicken livers and sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add brandy and simmer until alcohol has cooked off. Toss into a blender and blend on high. Periodically stop the blender and push down larger pieces with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Add cream and continue to blend until smooth. Place a mesh sieve over a bowl. Transfer mixture to the sieve and press through with a silicone spatula to remove any unsmooth pieces. Spoon pâté into one serving bowl or a few small ones, and smooth out the top. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Garnish with a sprinkle of sel gris or other fine salt. Excellent served with cornichon, Dijon mustard and a grainy mustard on the side.

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