Overview

This is a generic pâté formula from the Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall Meat book (which is excellent and “highly recommendy”), in the style of Michael Ruhlman’s Ratio (another great, thought-provoking cookbook)

This delicious pâté can be made with any liver at all, from rabbits to reindeer and Chickens to chinchillas… which of course I’ve never tried. I often make it with the very fresh liver of my pigs, lambs and cattle on the day I take them to slaughter. They’re all a little different, but it works every time. You can ring the changes with the alcohol and herbs, but port and sage are good all-rounders.

Ingredients

Makes 2 x 500g or 1 x 1kg pâté

  • 750g fresh liver
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • A knob of butter
  • 150ml whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon double cream
  • 100g breadcrumbs
  • 250g minced pork
  • A splash of port
  • A few sage leaves, chopped
  • Leaves from 1 sprig of thyme, chopped
  • A pinch of ground mace
  • A pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • Streaky bacon rashers, stretched with the back of a knife, to line the dishes (optional)
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Method

Pick over the liver, trimming and discarding any tough membranes or coarse ventricles, and chop roughly. Sweat the onion in the butter until soft and translucent. Warm up the milk with the cream, add the breadcrumbs and leave to soak for 5 minutes.

Put all the ingredients except the bacon rashers into a food processor and pulse for several bursts until thoroughly mixed. (You can make it as coarse or smooth as you like. I ring the changes, and sometimes even remove half of it while still coarse to make one pâté, then whizz the rest until pretty smooth to make another.)

Pile the mixture into 1 large (or 2 medium) terrine dish(es), which can be lined with stretched rashers of bacon if you like, or just greased with a little butter.

Cover with a lid or a double layer of buttered foil. Place in a roasting tin and pour enough boiling water into the tin to come half way up the sides of the dish. Put in a moderate oven (160°C/Gas Mark 3) for 11/4-13/4 hours. The pâté is cooked when it comes away from the side of the dish and is firm to the touch.

Remove from the roasting tin and press with a weighted board, or similar, while cooling. Serve with toast. This pâté can be kept in the fridge for at least a week, and freezes well.

Notes

Usual. Serve as per with some cornichon or other pickled things and toasted bread.

References