• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Fab Food 4 All

No more drab food, only fab food!

  • Home
  • About me
    • As Seen
  • Reviews
  • Contact/PR
You are here: Home / Offal / Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate)

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate)

Updated 8 December 2024 Published 21 April 2012 51 Comments

JUMP TO RECIPE
Leverpostej - Traditional Danish Liver Pate Pinterest image.

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) is a wonderful pork liver pate that is lighter in texture than normal pate and is served hot on rye bread for the most exquisite of eating experiences. If you’ve never tried it then you have seriously been missing out! 

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) on rye bread with fried mushrooms & bacon on 1 slice and red cabbage topping on the other.

What is Leverpostej?

Leverpostej, pronounced Liwer-po-stigh is a traditional Danish pork liver pate that is served hot on rye bread and garnished in various ways.

Danes make and eat Leverpostej all year round and it usually makes an appearance at Christmas (Jul) which is when my mum used to make it.

Wanting to recreate the pork liver pate that my mother used to buy from the Danish Centre when I  was a child, I set about doing some research as this was not a recipe that she had ever made. 

Taking her advice I created a stripped back version of all the recipes I could find to get something resembling what I had eaten.

I also wanted to create something a little healthier so used milk instead of cream and fatty bacon bits rather than pure pork fat from a butcher. 

Many of the recipes called for anchovy paste which was winced at by my mother so I decided a slug of Worcestershire Sauce might be a winning compromise!

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) with fried mushrooms & bacon on a serving dish.

I had never made Leverpostej until today and I don’t know why I’ve never done it before as it was so easy, so cheap, and far more delicious than anything shop bought. 

Not that you can buy anything remotely similar in UK supermarkets.  I made 3 small foil tins of pate (just like the originals) for about  £1.30 compared to the shop bought variety which can cost around £2.00 for one slim pre-packed slither.

If you have children and they are a bit squeamish I suggest you don’t show them the raw liver as I managed to put my daughter off completely. 

Her brother though was fine and helped whizz the mixture in the blender.  He later wolfed down his open Danish sandwiches asking if there were any more, as did his dad. 

My husband insisted on having cooked red cabbage with the pate. 

I wasn’t up for cooking this as well, so was very pleased (when he failed to find any in Ikea) that the Polish section in my supermarket had jars of cooked red cabbage and apple. 

Hence, we were spoilt with fried mushrooms and bacon on the warm pate as well as warmed red cabbage.

It was like being a kid all over again, I was in food heaven!

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) in foil trays on a baking tray.

The Leverpostej must be removed from their water bath immediately once cooked.

Serving Suggestions

Danish Pork Liver Pate should be served as an open sandwich on rye bread and topped with any of the following:

  • Homemade cooked red cabbage (or from a jar, often with apple), hot or cold.
  • Fried mushrooms and bacon lardons.
  • Pickled cucumber (Asier) or raw cucumber slices.
  • Pickled or cooked sliced beetroot.
  • Crispy onions.
  • Sky (aspic) as per the traditional Danish open sandwich called Dyrlægens Natmad.

Storage

Store cooked pate in its tray with lid on in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Can you Freeze Leverpostej?

Yes, raw pate freezes well in foil trays with a lid on. Simply defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before baking.

Alternatively, you can freeze the cooked pate, then thaw it in the fridge before serving cold or reheating.

How do you reheat Danish Liver Pate?

Reheat Danish Liver Pate in the oven at 175°C (350°F) loosely covered in foil for about 10 – 15 mins or until it reaches an internal temperature of 72°C (160°)F.

More Danish Open Sandwiches (Smørrebrød) Idea

  • Egg & Prawn Open Sandwich
  • Ploughman’s Open Sandwich
  • Micro Quail Egg & Smoked Ham Danish Open Sandwich
  • Kartoffelmad (Danish Potato Sandwich)
  • Herring Smørrebrød 

Leave a comment and rating below when you’ve made this recipe; I love getting your feedback! You can also share your pictures by tagging @FabFood4All over on Instagram.

Pin Leverpostej for later!

Leverpostej - Traditional Danish Liver Pate Pinterest image.
Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate) with fried mushrooms & bacon on a serving dish.
Print Pin
5 from 4 votes
Save Saved!

Leverpostej (Danish Liver Pate)

Leverpostej is light Danish pork liver pate that's traditionally served hot or cold on rye bread.
Course Lunch
Cuisine Danish
Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 1 hour hour
Total Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Servings 12
Author Camilla Hawkins

Equipment

  • 1 cook’s knife
  • 1 Measuring jug
  • 1 Chopping Board
  • 1 Food processor (blender)
  • 3 small foil trays or loaf tin

Ingredients

  • 500 g / 1lb pork liver
  • 300 g / 10oz unsmoked bacon lardons the fattier the better
  • 1 medium onion roughly chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 125 ml / 4 fl oz milk
  • dash Worcestershire Sauce

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 175℃ (350℉).
  • Blitz the liver, bacon and onion in a food processor or blender until fairly smooth (you’ll probably need to poke down the onions from the sides).
  • Mix in the rest of the ingredients until well distributed.
  • Pour mixture into a well greased loaf pan or 3 smaller foil trays.
  • Put warm water into a deep baking tin so that it comes half way up the side and bake for about 1 hour.
  • If the pate starts to brown too much, place some foil loosely over the top (shiny side down).
  • Once cooked (the juices should run clear when tipped) invert onto a dish and cover with fried bacon bits and button mushrooms if desired.
  • Serve hot on rye bread for the best eating experience along with cooked red cabbage or fried mushrooms and bacon bits. Can also be enjoyed cold.

Notes

When reheating pate always cover loosely with foil and have the shiny side facing inwards (otherwise you’re reflecting the heat away).

Sharing is caring!

Previous Post: « Thai Green Chicken Curry
Next Post: Toad in the Hole with Onion Gravy »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Heindrich Brase

    05/12/2023 at 4:13 pm

    This was my first try. It came out delicious. I cooked a kilogram of pork liver. Can I freeze the cooked paté in the foil container.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      05/12/2023 at 4:32 pm

      Hi Heindrich, so happy to hear that. Yes you can freeze pate. Just be sure to keep the container airtight (maybe put in a food bag and suck out the air) and consume within 3 months (defrost overnight in fridge).

      Reply
  2. John B

    13/08/2023 at 5:19 pm

    My mom has a recipe from her Grandmother and I think they called it Finka. Is it the same thing?

    John B

    Reply
    • Camilla

      13/08/2023 at 9:21 pm

      Hi John, not heard of Finka I’m afraid.

      Reply
      • Tom

        20/08/2023 at 6:41 pm

        I think what is meant here would be ‘finker’

        Reply
  3. Adrianne

    26/12/2022 at 6:35 pm

    Do you cook the bacon prior to mixing with the liver or is it raw? Making for my Danish father in law for new years! Hope it brings back great memories!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/12/2022 at 11:07 pm

      Hi, the bacon is added raw.

      Reply
  4. Didi

    02/12/2022 at 9:02 pm

    Hi Camilla; I was an exchange student at a Folk Highschool way back in 1976… and I still dream of the leverpostej I had both at the school and with the Family I lived with up in Fjerritslev. I tried to make some from an internet recipe years ago and it was dreadful.. I am very excited to try your recipe! Mange tak!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      03/12/2022 at 12:23 am

      Awesome Didi, do let me know how you get on:-)

      Reply
  5. Lene

    28/06/2022 at 5:17 am

    Hi Camilla
    I’m a Danish born Australian and came with my parents to Australia when I was 4 years old. In 2018 I visited some family in Copenhagen and fell in love with Danish liver paste. Am also vegan now, so as we speak I’m baking the paste after swapping TVP (textured vegetable protein) for the pork and plant based bacon along with ground flaxseed for the egg and soy milk for the milk. Will let you know how it comes out!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/06/2022 at 10:16 pm

      Hi Lene, that sounds very inventive! Hope you succeed in your quest:-)

      Reply
  6. Jodi James

    20/06/2022 at 5:31 am

    Camilla,
    When I was in Herning, DK many years ago as an exchange student. My host father found it odd that my first try of Leverpostej I put onions on it, but as an American, I had never heard of anything different to go with liver.
    After that, I began to eat it the way that my host family did, with thinly sliced cucumbers on it.

    In your article you stated that your daughter would not try it. See if she would be willing to after it is cooked, with some fresh raw cucumber on it.

    I found with the Cucumber there was no lingering taste from the liver when I had “Smørbrød med Leverpostej.” It was common practice to spread butter on the “femkorn” (the bread they used for the open-faced sandwiches) before spreading the leverpostej on it. That may have also been regional.

    I am looking forward to trying your recipe to see if it is how I remembered it from when I was 17. (too many years ago to admit here)

    Reply
    • Camilla

      20/06/2022 at 11:09 pm

      Hi Jodi, thank you for your suggestion. I’m afraid my daughter is now a pescatarian (having been a vegetarian too) as she just never did like meat really. Did you also try pickled Asier (pickled cucumber) with leverpostej, that’s lovely too! My daughter did ask to have herring on rye bread the other day having avoided it for the past 18 years and really enjoyed it so at least the Danish genes are making a mark:-)

      Reply
  7. Jan

    20/08/2021 at 5:17 pm

    The thought of adding fat to any recipe grosses me out. However, your recipe calling for bacon put a whole new spin on it. Thanks for sharing this recipe and for using both metric and US measurements. Please add the baking temperature to complete the perfection! Can’t wait to try it. Thank you!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      20/08/2021 at 8:07 pm

      Hi Jan, when I was a kid we grew up with pounds and ounces and then sometime in the 70’s I think the UK went metric. I had no idea that this was US measurements, I thought those were cups. We have digital scales that can measure ounces, grams, mls etc so what sort of scales do you use? When I was growing up I used my mothers caste iron ones with the little weights that went on one side. Is that what Americans still use? I have said the oven temperature on the first line of the recipe.

      Reply
  8. Rob

    20/02/2021 at 4:41 pm

    OMG, just made this recipe for a friend who was missing it from childhood memories! Definitely going to become a regular in my house. Such a simple recipe and wow what an outcome! Thank you.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      21/02/2021 at 1:01 am

      Aaw, that’s wonderful Rob, so happy to hear this, thanks for sharing:-)

      Reply
  9. Stefan Sillen

    18/02/2021 at 5:46 am

    Great recipe. I’m Swedish so I use pork belly (fläsk). I also use marjoram and little bit of ginger. On a piece of sourdough with dill pickles oh my god!. Spic it up!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      19/02/2021 at 12:06 am

      Sounds fab, I’ve yet to embark on sourdough making!

      Reply
  10. Tara

    11/12/2020 at 5:03 pm

    This looks amazing! So comforting paired with the rye bread. Thanks for sharing my Kartoffelmad!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      11/12/2020 at 5:35 pm

      Thank you, a pleasure Tara:-)

      Reply
  11. Fred

    10/09/2020 at 8:34 pm

    Had this often as a child/young man. Paternal grandparents emigrated from Denmark.
    Love it. Made it a couple years ago. Anxious to try it again. Found pork liver in NC, when I lived near Charlotte, but no sources here on Central Florida coast. Hoping calf’s is an acceptable substitute.
    As I like anchovies, I wonder how much to put in recipe?
    Fred

    Reply
    • Camilla

      11/09/2020 at 12:50 am

      Hi Fred, my mum used to serve us pan fried calves liver as a child which was so good but I don’t think it would be good in this pate, I’ve never come across any pate made with calves liver. Could you not find an online supplier to send it to you frozen perhaps? I would google other pate recipes that contain anchovies and use that as a guide. Good luck!

      Reply
  12. Cheryl

    04/06/2020 at 3:02 pm

    Our Danish Sisterhood group here in the States made this in small loaf pans for its market last fall. They encouraged shoppers to buy two and freeze one to serve in slices gently fried at Christmastime..

    Reply
    • Camilla

      04/06/2020 at 3:19 pm

      Aaw, that’s just wonderful to hear, thank you so much for sharing:-)

      Reply
  13. Danish Wife

    11/11/2017 at 7:25 pm

    So you think you could make this with lamb or beef liver?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      11/11/2017 at 10:03 pm

      I have only ever seen and eaten pate made with chicken or pork liver and this pate that I grew up eating is always made with pork liver.

      Reply
  14. Paul Wilson

    03/10/2015 at 12:04 am

    Never tried it – looks interesting.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      03/10/2015 at 4:29 pm

      Seriously the best pate ever and nothing like anything you an buy in Britain!

      Reply
  15. Susie

    17/08/2015 at 6:03 pm

    Have you ever frozen after cooking? I made a double batch and wondered since I already have the oven going.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      17/08/2015 at 10:11 pm

      No I haven’t I’m afraid!

      Reply
  16. Maya Russell

    14/08/2015 at 8:13 am

    This looks very delicious. I have never made pate before but ought to try this as my father-in-law is low in iron.

    Reply
    • Camilla

      14/08/2015 at 9:39 am

      Oh do Maya it’s so gorgeous and nothing like any pate you’ve ever had before;-)

      Reply
  17. tiggerific1973

    27/05/2015 at 2:35 pm

    I love pate but I am only the only one in the family who does!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      28/05/2015 at 12:06 am

      Aah but this is like no pate they will have ever tried – I defy anyone not to like this hot pate on a slice of rye:-)

      Reply
  18. Jane Davies

    09/04/2015 at 10:54 am

    Never tried making pate myself but I love the stuff I buy ! Will have to give it a go 🙂

    Reply
  19. Geoffrey Clark

    23/01/2015 at 3:07 pm

    pate on toast mmm….

    Reply
  20. Ursula Hunt

    15/09/2014 at 11:59 am

    Never made Pate but love it so this recipe is great

    Reply
  21. Paul Wilson

    12/08/2014 at 12:05 am

    Looks really tasty.

    Reply
  22. Susie

    31/07/2014 at 4:29 pm

    Thank you. I am looking forward to making this Saturday. My mother-in-law’s family is from Denmark and I believe this will surely retain my standing as favorite daughter-in-law. 😉

    Reply
    • Camilla

      31/07/2014 at 5:36 pm

      Aah, I’d love to know how it went down – Danish pate is just out of this world:-)

      Reply
  23. Susie

    31/07/2014 at 4:05 pm

    I’m sure this sounds like a rookie question, because it is, the bacon bits, they are not cooked before being introduced to the blender with other ingredients, right?

    Reply
    • Camilla

      31/07/2014 at 4:14 pm

      They are raw:-)

      Reply
  24. Paul Wilson

    12/02/2014 at 4:29 am

    Great idea. I would never have thought to make my own pate.

    Reply
  25. Tracy Nixon

    21/01/2014 at 10:30 am

    Not a fan of liver myself but have printed this off for my mum who loves it! She buys the pate a lot for her and the cat (yes the cat!) so I’m sure she would like to try some home made! Thank you!

    Reply
    • Camilla

      21/01/2014 at 10:11 pm

      This is far superior to any pate you can buy:-)

      Reply
  26. Heather Haigh

    16/10/2013 at 3:29 am

    I really like the sound of that.

    Reply
  27. Lisa Williams

    07/10/2013 at 12:23 pm

    that looks so delicious I have never ventured into Danish food but if it is all like this I will be trying to find a lot more of it 🙂

    Reply
    • Camilla

      07/10/2013 at 11:39 pm

      Oh you can’t beat a Danish warm liver pate!

      Reply
  28. Gitte

    08/05/2012 at 11:27 am

    Oh boy, that looks so delicious. Makes me wanna go dig out the last Leverpostej that I have in the freeze but I am saving that for when my son comes home from school. 🙂

    Reply
    • Camilla

      08/05/2012 at 2:08 pm

      Thank you, that means such a lot coming from a Dane!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Follow me on:

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Threads
  • TikTok
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Categories

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2025 · FabFood4All · Log in