Lamb Pâté

This lamb pâté is a rich appetizer that can be spread on crackers.

Every Day Lamb Pâté

by Tamara Sloviaczek

The rich and velvety appetizer, pâté, represents more than a complicated and fancy rarity. Pâté comes from a tradition of using the whole animal, an ethic we care for considerably at Purple Sage Farms. 

Pâté ingredients can be hard to come by. For example, some recipes ask for caul fat, a thin, lacy membrane that encases organs. Even knowing the ingredient is a task, often the result of having slaughtered and butchered animals or a deep interest in anatomy. 

My desire is  to make this delicacy accessible with ingredients you can find at the farmers market. I use local ingredients when making this recipe: Purple Sage Farms lamb liver, thyme, and chives; rendered pork fat (lard) from Malheur River Meats; Fiddler’s Green Farm garlic; McIntyre Pastures eggs; and Zhoo Zhoo Wines Blonde (white wine). 

A Flexible Food

I’ve adapted several recipes for an approach that allows one to vary the flavorings according to availability and preference—for example, dried or fresh herbs, depending on what’s in season.  In addition to the herbs below, I also advise trying other herbs: mint, parsley, coriander, oregano, marjoram, sage or verbena.

You will spread this pâté, rather than slicing a loaf. The recipe calls for about 2 pounds of liver, which makes quite a bit, so I usually fill two containers—one for a party and one to use throughout the week, as a spread on toast for a nutritious breakfast or lunch. Liver contains a significant amount of folate, iron, vitamin B, vitamin A and copper. I also enjoy pâté with fresh greens, pickles, or a poached egg. 

Ingredients

2 lb lamb liver, approximately
8 oz rendered pork fat
½ tablespoon salt
5 to 6 cloves of garlic
1 small onion 
1 tablespoon thyme, dried, crushed, or ground
½ teaspoon AllSpice, ground
½ cup fresh chives
2 oz white wine
2 oz cognac
4 eggs
2 tablespoons flour, or sub 1 tablespoon cornstarch
¼ teaspoon baking powder
Olive oil
Pancetta or bacon (optional)

Directions

Step 1

Rub liver with olive oil and sprinkle it with salt and ground pepper. Place in a glass dish covered with foil and bake for 40 minutes. 

Step 2

Cool and then cut the liver into bite size pieces. Meat and fat grind and combine more easily when cold so you might want to refrigerate overnight before the next step.

Step 3

In a food processor, blend garlic, onion, liver pieces and pork fat. 

Step 4

In a separate bowl, mix salt, thyme, all spice, flour, and baking powder. Then add the dry mix to the wet in the processor. 

Step 5

Mix wet and dry in the processor and while it’s on,  add eggs, white wine, and cognac. Process until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. Taste test and add more salt and spices if you like. 

Step 6

Scoop the pâté mixture into a 4-5 inch terrine mold that has been brushed with olive oil, and if you like, lined with thin slices of pork, pancetta or bacon.

Step 7

Cover the terrine tightly with foil. Place the mold in a pan of water, filled with at least an inch of water, and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and refrigerate. Coat the top with the remaining chives and use as a spread on crackers or thin sliced toasted bread.

Recipes Referenced 

“Quick Liver Pâté,” James Beard American Cookery, James Beard, 1972

"Pâté de Campagne,” Anthony Bourdain’s Les Halles Cook Book, Anthony Bourdain, 2004