This is my liver pate recipe. It started off from the Hugh FW Meat book, then has been adapted by me. Sorry it is rather long winded. It is more like a terrine, and very coarse.
1.5 kg liver
500 g sausage meat
2 large onions, finely chopped and fried in pig fat
1 kg or more streaky bacon, rindless, to line baking tins
150 ml port
150 ml brandy
2 tablespoons double cream
200 g breadcrumbs
approx. 1 tablespoon each sage, thyme, mace
1/2 tablespoon cayenne
max 1 teaspoon each ground black pepper and salt. DO NOT ADD TOO MUCH SALT
approx. 150 g shelled unsalted pistachio nuts, blitzed or chopped to make smaller
approx. 100 g dried cranberries, chopped to make smaller
Line rectangular loaf baking tins with streaky bacon rashers
Blitz liver in food processor until it looks like very thick mud
Mix everything together, shouldn't be too runny, more like a thick paste
Fill to top of baking tins. Fold over bacon ends.
Cover with a double layer of buttered foil
Bake tins in large roasting dish with water all round base of baking tins at 160 degrees for 1 hour 20 minutes. Top up the water if necessary.
Take out of oven and press down, in baking tins, with weights, eg tins of veg or anything heavy the right shape. When nearly cold turn pate out of baking tins.
Flavour develops best after 2 to 3 days unfrozen in fridge.
Cut into smaller lengths and freeze separately, then you can get bits out whenever you feel like.
Tamsaddle