Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (2024)

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Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (1)

What is Pâté

Pate, pronounced “pah-tay,” is French for paste. It is a type of meat paste with liver as the main ingredient.

Pate is mostly associated with French cuisine,but variations can be found all over the world. It made its way to Vietnam during the French colonialization in the late 1800s. Now it is a beloved livery spread for Bánh Mì, a classic and iconic Vietnamese sandwich. The spread adds a rich and savory flavor to the sandwich, making it an essential component of the Bánh Mì. Without it, the Bánh Mì simply feels incomplete.

Spread the pate inside of the baguette for your banh mi before adding the other ingredients. You can also enjoy it as a delicious snack by smearing it on crackers.

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (2)

What You’ll Need

Below is the recipe to make your own pate at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you can create a delicious spread that will add authenticity to your Banh Mi.

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (3)

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (4)

Liver — You can use any kind of liver. I’m using one piece of pork liver in this recipe. You can also use chicken, duck, goose, or beef. Remove any tough connective tissue then slice into bite-sized pieces.

Milk — Start by soaking the liver in whole milk to help clean and get rid of the strong smell. Soak for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the fridge. Discard the soaking milk and rinse the liver well. It is now ready for use. Milk is also needed as the liquid to make the paste.

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (5)

Butter — This also makes the pate creamy and fatty. Butter is also used to top off the pate so that it doesn’t dry out. Sometimes, rendered pork fat is used instead.

Aromatics — When it comes to liver, you need plenty of aromatics to subdue the smell. Here I’m using plenty of shallots and garlic. If you don’t have shallots, use white or yellow onions instead.

Oil — A little bit is needed to pan-fry the shallots and garlic to bring out their aroma. You can use either vegetable or canola oil.

Cooking wine — I’m using a Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing), but you can use whatever cooking wine or white wine that you have. Cooking wine is another way to mellow out the livery flavor and aroma. It also provides a small amount of acidity to break down the liver when pulsed into a paste.

Seasonings — To season the liver, I’m using salt, a bit of sugar for balance, Chinese five-spice for flavor, MSG (optional) for that well-rounded umami flavor, and ground black pepper for a small kick.

Food processor — Once the liver is cooked on the stovetop and seasoned, you will need a food processor to pulse the liver and all the aromatics into a paste. Generally, the Vietnamese liver pate is coarser than the French variety, but that is entirely up to you. Pulse longer for a smoother texture. Less for a coarser texture.

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (6)

Where to Buy Pâté

If you don’t have access to quality liver to make it at home or it's just too daunting to make your own, you can get pate from your other sources.

Banh Mi shops are likely to have pate for purchase. Simply ask them and they can sell you their house blend in a small container.

If you don’t have a Banh Mi shop nearby, you can purchase canned pate at a specialty grocery store or online. The canned pate is typically very small (4.5 oz), which is convenient if you just need a small amount.

Related Links

All About the Banh Mi (Vietnamese Sandwich)
Top 10 Most Delicious Vietnamese Dishes You Must Try Before You Die

Authentic Cơm Tấm: A Delicious and Traditional Vietnamese Broken Rice Dish

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (7)

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (8)

Yield 10

Author Vicky Pham

Prep time

5 Min

Cook time

15 Min

Inactive time

40 Min

Total time

1 Hour

Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for for Bánh Mì Sandwiches

Pâté, the beloved livery spread for Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches. Make your own pate at home with just a few simple ingredients and take your Banh Mi to the next level.This recipe makes about 2 cups.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Remove any connective tissue on the liver then slice it into bite-sized pieces. Rinse well. Soak the liver in 1 cup whole milk for at least 30 minutes then rinse again. This will subdue the strong smell.
  2. In a large skillet, heat up oil and 1 tablespoon butter. Add garlic and shallots. Pan fry for one minute. Add liver and pan fry for 10 minutes on medium-low heat.
  3. Add wine and cook for one more minute or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Season with salt, pepper, sugar, five-spice powder, and MSG (optional). Add milk to deglaze the pan, making sure to scrap any of the charred bits at the bottom of the skillet but don't let the milk evaporate off. Pour mixture into a blender or food processor. Add another tablespoon of butter and blend until smooth.
  4. Transfer pate to two 4-inch ramekins or small bowls. Melt the last of the butter in the microwave and pour a very thin layer over the pate in the two ramekins. This will keep the pate from drying out. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes or until the butter was set.
  5. Spread a thin smear of pate onto your baguette for your Banh Mi or your favorite crackers. Any remaining pate can be wrapped up tightly and stored in the freezer for at least 6 months.

Nutrition Facts

Sugar

3 g

Sodium

168 mg

Sat. Fat

4 g

Protein

11 g

Net carbs

6 g

Fiber

0 g

Fat

8 g

Cholesterol

140 mg

Carbs

6 g

Calories

143 kcal

The values provided should be considered estimates. Factors such as brands purchased, natural variations in fresh ingredients, etc. will change the nutritional information in any recipe. To obtain accurate nutritional information for a recipe, use your preferred nutrition calculator to determine nutritional information with the actual ingredients and quantities used.

https://www.vickypham.com/blog/pate

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condiment, snack

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Easy Vietnamese Liver Pâté Recipe for Bánh Mì Sandwiches — Vicky Pham (2024)

FAQs

What is banh mi pâté made of? ›

Paté Paté is common in all Bánh Mì, and for good reason. The creamy and savoury spread adds a unique flavour to the sandwich that can't be found anywhere else. Commonly made from pig's liver and a mixture of meat, vegetables and spices, paté keeps the Bánh Mì from getting too dry.

What are the ingredients in a Vietnamese sandwich? ›

Banh Mi is a Vietnamese sandwich that's made up of an odd sounding combination – crusty bread rolls smeared with pate, mayo, suspicious looking Asian ham, pickled vegetables, green onion, coriander/cilantro, a mighty wack of fresh chillies and drizzle of seasoning.

What is the best bread for pâté? ›

Toasts are also a great partner with Pate. A grilled, properly spiky sourdough bread would be the ideal here, but any decent, thick-cut real white or granary bread will do. But also any type of fresh baguette, sliced toasted baguette, or crackers works very well.

What is banh mi butter made of? ›

Bơ is actually Vietnamese Mayo, not Vietnamese Butter. Vietnamese Mayo it is just made from egg yolks, the color is very yellow and rich tasting like butter.

What does pate mean in Vietnamese? ›

a soft food made from finely chopped meat, fish, or vegetables that you can spread on bread. pa tê

What is the yellow stuff in Banh Mi? ›

Butter/mayonnaise.

It's mixed with oil and egg yolks, so it becomes a creamy yellow dressing. (Many banh mi recipes call for mayonnaise, which is an egg-based dressing). Vu describes the butter as one of the two essential ingredients to banh mi.

What kind of pate for Banh Mi? ›

Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches often use chicken or duck liver pâté. With the other strong flavors inside of Vietnamese Banh Mi, like that of the pickled carrots and daikon radishes, the silky, dusky, and earthy taste adds additional texture and additional layers of flavors to an already delicious dish.

What makes a good Banh Mi? ›

Banh Mi Sandwich Ingredients
  • Baguette – Look for soft baguette with a lightly crisp exterior. ...
  • Seared marinated tofu – The “meat” of this sandwich. ...
  • Pickled vegetables – These guys are key for giving a banh mi its signature sweet and tangy flavor. ...
  • Spicy mayo – A banh mi essential!

What is the best pâté for beginners? ›

For beginners, Daguin recommends pâté de campagne as a "pâté 101." This country-style pâté is traditionally made with coarse ground pork meat and pork liver with garlic, parsley and sometimes onion, rosemary and clove, making it a savory and easy intro to those unfamiliar with pâté's often unique texture and flavor.

Why is liver pâté so expensive? ›

Pate Foie Gras is French for fat liver paste. It is a luxury item because few countries allow it to be made, due to the extreme cruelty involved. It is the cancerous liver of a duck or goose fattened by force in a process known as gavage. Birds spend their lives in semi-darkness.

What is the best bread for liver pâté? ›

A grilled, properly spiky sourdough bread would be the ideal here, but any decent, thick-cut real white or granary bread will do. Brown bread feels too worthy in this context. Likewise, limp, thin-sliced, industrially manufactured bread will not cut it in the regal presence of a paté.

What kind of mayo do they use in banh mi? ›

Vietnamese Mayo (Vietnamese Mayonnaise, Vietnamese Butter or Sốt Bơ Trứng) , along with Vietnamese Liver Pâté , is a must-have for Banh Mi. Despite being free of dairy, it is often called the “Butter for Banh Mi” due to its incredibly creamy texture.

What are Vietnamese sandwiches called? ›

Vietnam has one signature sandwich: bánh mì. It is a tour de force comprised of light, crisp baguette-style bread often moistened by mayonnaise and containing pickled daikon and carrots, cucumber, cilantro, chili, and a featured protein element.

Why is Vietnamese mayonnaise so yellow? ›

Unlike American mayonnaise, which uses whole eggs and vinegar, the Vietnamese version uses only yolks and no vinegar. Because there are only egg yolks, Vietnamese mayo is more yellow in color.

What is pâté made out of? ›

Pâté is often made of pig meat and parts, but wild game like snipe, partridge, venison or wild boar can be cooked into a pâté, as can farm-raised duck, rabbit or pheasant. Even vegetables can be made into pâté. Lean meats might require the addition of some pork fat to keep the pâté from drying out in the oven.

What is a substitute for pâté in banh mi? ›

The answer is a mushroom pâté

When dried, mushrooms pack a much more intense flavor that will match the funky, earthy banh mi bite you remember from the days before going vegan. For even more umami flavor, throw in a dash of vegan fish sauce and MSG, along with aromatics like shallots and garlic.

What does pâté have in it? ›

It's an umbrella term. Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.

What does banh mi pate taste like? ›

Vietnamese Banh Mi sandwiches often use chicken or duck liver pâté. With the other strong flavors inside of Vietnamese Banh Mi, like that of the pickled carrots and daikon radishes, the silky, dusky, and earthy taste adds additional texture and additional layers of flavors to an already delicious dish.

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