Pistachio'd Liver Pâté with Pumpernickel Pigs

Ingredients

• 1.2 onions, chopped
• 2.2 garlic, crushed
• 3.15 gram butter, 1 tablespoon; for kosher substitute oil or schmaltz
• 4.30 millilitre vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons
• 5.500 gram chicken livers, cleaned and cut; not too finely
• 6.seasoned salt and pepper, Lawry's brand; to taste
• 7.olive oil, a little if too dry while frying
• 8.10 millilitre orange peppercorns, crushed; 2 teaspoons
• 9.2.5 millilitre pink peppercorns, crushed
• 10.5 millilitre green peppercorns, crushed
• 11.Pommery mustard, ½–1 teaspoon grain mustard
• 12.5 millilitre fresh herbs, mint and thyme; 1 teaspoon mixed
• 13.cognac, 1–2 doubles (approximately 50–100 ml)
• 14.60 gram butter, melted; for processing; substitute oil or schmaltz for kosher
• 15.pistachios, shelled; at least 1 tablespoon; fold in generously

Method

1. 1.Brown onions till golden. Add crushed garlic.
2. 2.Lightly fry seasoned livers till slightly pink in the centre, with the peppercorns, Pommery mustard, fresh herbs and cognac. Sprinkle with olive oil if too dry.
3. 3.Process in Magimix till smooth, adding butter.
4. 4.Fold in pistachios.
5. 5.Let stand covered overnight.
6. 6.Serves 6–8.

Notes

• Card note: 'KOSHER: Instead of butter use oil — Gees self pâté / Schmaltz — Cooked hard pâté.' (Afrikaans: 'Gees self' = goose fat; schmaltz = rendered chicken fat. The kosher version produces a firmer texture.)
• Source type 'mixed' — typewritten recipe with handwritten annotations (peppercorn instructions, herb types, kosher note).
• 'Pumpernickel Pigs' refers to pumpernickel bread cut into pig shapes — serve the pâté alongside these as the base/cracker.
• 'd.' for cognac = doubles (a South African measure, approximately 50ml per double).

Margin notes

• KOSHER: Instead of butter use oil — Gees self paté / Schmaltz — Cooked hard paté (handwritten)