These Chicken liver pate bites bring together two food cultures that have more in common than you’d expect. Chicharrones replace the usual cracker as the base. A schmear of chopped chicken liver pate goes on top. A cornichon finishes each bite with a sharp, briny snap. The result is crunchy, rich, and tangy all at once, and it takes about five minutes to assemble.
Tucson has a long-established Jewish community whose food traditions have quietly woven themselves into the fabric of Sonoran cooking over generations. This snack sits right at that intersection. It’s definitely not kosher but it is delicious.
What Makes It Work
Chicharrones are light, airy and crunchy. They support the pate without competing with it the way a dense cracker might. The fat in the pork rind amplifies the richness of the liver rather than fighting it. The cornichon’s acidity cuts through the fat of both the chicharrones and the pate and makes the whole bite come alive.
Use the best prepared chopped chicken liver pate you can find. A good Jewish deli pate is ideal. If you’re ambitious enough to make your own, this recipe is an excellent showcase for it.
Ingredients
- 1 cup chicharrones
- ½ cup prepared chopped chicken liver pate
- ⅓ cup cornichons
Instructions
- This may seem like an unlikely, (and un-kosher) combination at first, but the pork rinds add a nice crunch without distracting too much from the chopped liver, and the cornichons add just the right amount of salty bite.
- I love chopped liver but I haven't been able to figure out how to make it as well as the deli up the street.
I asked them for the recipe, and all the person behind the counter knew was a list of ingredients: eggs, chicken liver, chicken fat, onion, garlic, salt; which are common to all chopped liver recipes.- When I figure it out I'll post the recipe here. I'm starting with this one from this month's Saveur Magazine.
