�

Pat�s are not just made from liver. They can be made with fish, in which case they end up like pudding; or from shellfish, vegetables and even fruit. They are just the right things to make appetizers.

�

We can also serve them at an informal dinner, along with cheese, toast and a couple of bottles of wine. A good garnish is crudit�s, which are fresh vegetables served raw such as endives, hearts of lettuce, apples and celery to dip in mayonnaise, garlic mayonnaise or a rouille sauce made from fish broth, egg, red pepper and garlic.

And if you want to surprise your guests, prepare a delicious, spreadable pat�. Mix one part cream cheese with two parts pat�, add some aromatic herbs or spices and a dash of sherry, brandy, Port wine or whisky. Stir by hand, then put it all in a food processor. It is an irresistible blend of flavors.

In Spain, fresh liver is not a popular dish, except in the case of chicken or rabbit livers. But it is one of the most select delicacies of our gastronomy. It can be prepared in any way, although in the most common recipes the liver is either grilled, breaded, seasoned with aromatic herbs, served in sauce or saut�ed lightly, just enough to turn it pink, then added to salad in small pieces. The salad is seasoned with a vinaigrette of soy oil, curry, brown sugar, vinegar, salt and pepper.

Rabbit livers are also delicious when breaded and seasoned with savory, mint and oregano. Serve this with a simple salad of diced tomato and melon.

One of France�s specialties is goose liver or liver from a heavily fed duck. It is called foie gras and for centuries the French have been divided into two camps over which is tastier. The goose liver supporters had traditionally been more numerous, but in the 1970s the duck version became fashionable. In Spain, it was largely unknown until the following decade, when it became a common item on Spanish restaurant menus.

Those in the know make an interesting distinction. Foie gras comes from a goose, and duck liver is called foie foie, with the accent on the second foie. Names aside, foie gras is the fatty liver of a goose or a duck which is fed so much that it goes from 60 grams at birth to around 700 ultimately.

If you want to make it at home, get a fresh piece of 700 grams of high quality liver. Soak it for several hours so it will release all its blood. You must also clean it of veins by separating the two lobes. Then place it in a bowl, add a pinch of salt, four pinches of sugar, ground pepper, three pinches of thyme and a cup of Port wine. Let it soak in for half an hour, close the lobes and wrap in film paper. Give it the shape of a sausage, and wrap in more paper until it is compact. If necessary tie it up with kitchen string. Place in the refrigerator for eight hours or two in the freezer. Later, put it in a microwave at maximum power for two minutes. Let it rest for a minute, then put it in for another minute. Put it back in the refrigerator for five more hours and it is ready to eat.

But if you want to keep things simple, you can find foie gras in the supermarket. It comes as cuit, or cooked, and mi-cuit, or half-cooked. You can eat it cold, saut�ed in sauce or in a salad. It can also be roasted with a honey shell, or lukewarm in small pastries, with candied onion and peach cream or with eggs prepared in red wine cream. But remember that if you add any other ingredient to foie gras, it is not longer foie gras.