Vietnamese Liver Pâté

A smooth, spreadable texture with a pink center, featuring the characteristic depth of fish sauce and five-spice. Essential for an authentic banh mi.

• Prep time: 30 min
• Cook time: 60 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 355
• Protein: 19 g
• Carbs: 9 g
• Fat: 25 g

Ingredients

• 200 g Pork liver ( cleaned and diced )
• 133.3 g Ground pork ( fresh )
• 66.7 g Pork belly ( finely diced )
• 33.3 g White bread ( crustless )
• 66.7 ml Whole milk
• 2 piece Garlic ( finely minced )
• 1.3 piece Shallot ( finely chopped )
• 1.3 tbsp fish sauce
• 0.7 tsp five spice powder
• 20 g Minimum butter sweet ( softened )
• 0.7 tsp Black pepper ground
• 0.7 tsp White sugar
• 0.7 tbsp Sunflower oil

Instructions

1. Soaking the bread

   Tear the white bread into pieces in a bowl and pour the whole milk over it. Mash with a fork to obtain a smooth porridge that will act as a binder.

2. Preparing the livers

   Clean the pork liver by removing nerves and hard parts. Cut into regular pieces. Do the same with the pork belly to have clean fat pieces.

3. Sautéing aromatics

   In a pan with sunflower oil, sweat the minced garlic and shallots. They should be translucent and tender, without any brown coloration.

4. Blending the mixture

   In a food processor, blend the ground pork, livers, fat, soaked bread, and aromatics. Add fish sauce, sugar, pepper, and five-spice powder. Aim for a fine but not liquid texture.

5. Water bath cooking

   Pour into a mold greased with butter. Place in a dish filled with hot water and bake at 160°C. The pâté is ready when firm in the center and fat rises at the edges.

Chef's tips

• Do not blend the mixture for too long to prevent it from heating up, which would cause the fat to separate.
• Let the pâté rest for at least 12 hours in the fridge before eating, as the flavors need to meld.
• The secret to a good pâté is the meticulous removal of nerves from the liver.

Storage

Keep for 5 days in the refrigerator in an airtight container. For optimal preservation, cover the surface with a thin layer of melted butter.