Awfully good offal

Over the last year and a half my partner in crime and I have run a little backyard cuniculture operation; we breed, raise, and butcher the rabbits ourselves. The high dressing ratio of our rabbits ensures that we benefit from a goodly amount of quality meat as well as pelts (which we have since learned how to tan ourselves, athankyouverymuch).

The ears, hearts, lungs, and kidneys are treated as dog edibles, however it has always seemed a shame to feed the pooch such a choice liver. Let me explain to you my complicated stance on organ meats...

Although I'm quite fond of braised tendon and pig ears (thanks, Asian mom) I've never really been a huge fan of most offal. This bugs me just on principle. I consider myself to be a pretty avid carnivore, and when I butcher an animal I like to use as much as I possibly can. That having been said, it seems so stupidly antithetical for me to be averse to the rich, woobly jewels which said animal's body is engineered to protect. Blasphemy! It's time for me to change my ways and learn how to appreciate the liver. 

...*cough* by seasoning and pureeing it into a pâté fit to trick my gustatory perception.

Rabbit Liver Pâté

- 7 rabbit livers (or about 1 3/4 cup chicken livers)

- 1/4 cup heavy cream

- 1/4 tsp ground cloves

- 3 cloves garlic

- 3 shallots

- 3/4 tsp salt + more for seasoning

- pepper

- 2 tbsp butter, + more for topping

- 1 tbsp fresh thyme

- 1 tbsp fresh sage

- 1/4 cup bourbon or whiskey

Slice up the shallots, roughly chop the garlic, and aggravate yourself by separating the thyme leaves from their twigs. Set aside, and get into the guts.

Rabbit livers have such a mild taste that I don't bother with this step, but if you're using chicken livers I would suggest letting them soak in milk for a couple of hours before using them. It helps soften the taste and draw out residual blood. Regardless of where your livers come from, be sure to remove any sinewy bits before use.

Pat the livers dry, then season liberally with salt and pepper.

 Put a pan over high heat, drop in 1 tbsp butter, and sear the livers for about 30 seconds (definitely no more than a minute!) on each side. They should remain a bit wiggly with pink centers. Livers will continue to cook after you remove them from the hot pan and overcooked livers are gross, so get them out in good time!

Set the livers aside, turn the heat down to medium-high, and throw in another tablespoon of butter along with the shallots, garlic, sage, and thyme. Saute until the shallots begin to tender, then deglaze the pan with the whiskey or bourbon (I've used both with good results). I realize that cognac is a more traditional choice, but I seldom have any lying around because I don't enjoy drinking old man bathwater. So bourbon it is.

Combine all of the cooked stuff with the cloves, 3/4 tsp of salt, and blitz the absolute shit out of it. (my weapon of choice is the food processor). If you enjoy a really smooth pâté, you'd best push it through a fine sieve after puréeing it. If you're lazy like me, you'll shrug your shoulders and decide that you have more enjoyable things to do with your time.

Spoon the pâté into a bowl or jar, and slam it down on the counter top a couple of times to distribute it evenly. Melt another couple of tablespoons of butter and spoon on top of the pâté to seal it. Stick in the fridge to firm overnight, and be prepared to go gangbusters on some crackers and toast the next day.

I realize that liver (especially delicate rabbit liver) can hardly be considered a weird gastronomic compromise, JUST APPRECIATE MY TENDER FORAY INTO EATING THE (not so) GARBAGE PARTS OF THE ANIMAL, OK??