LAMB LIVER PATE WITH VANA TALLINN
- 500 g EMH lamb liver
- 1 onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 bay leaves
- 6 sage leaves
- 4–5 tbsp cream cheese
- 1 tbsp butter + melted butter (for sealing the pate)
- 2 tbsp cold-pressed olive oil
- 2 tbsp Vana Tallinn liqueur
- salt
- freshly ground black and white pepper
- a pinch of chilli flakes
to garnish:
- peppercorns
- small herb sprigs
Remove the membrane from the liver, clean away any sinew and veins, and cut into even-sized pieces. Peel the onion and garlic and slice thinly. Heat a mixture of butter and oil in a pan, add the onion, garlic and bay leaves and fry until the onion turns translucent. Add the liver pieces and sage leaves, sear quickly, pour in the liqueur and cook off the alcohol. Let cool slightly, season with salt, pepper and chilli flakes. Blitz with a stick blender or in a food processor together with the cream cheese. Transfer to a serving dish, pour melted butter over the top (enough to seal the pate), garnish with peppercorns and herb sprigs. Store in the fridge.
SPICED LAMB LIVER
Serves four
- 450 g EMH lamb liver
- salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 2 scant tbsp flour
- 1 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1.5 tsp ground cumin
- cold-pressed olive oil
- to serve: tomatoes, roasted or fried potatoes, pomegranate and marinated onion
Marinated onion:
- 1 larger onion
- salt
- 1 tsp sumac
- flat-leaf parsley
Peel and slice the onion, chop the parsley, mix together, season with salt and sumac and set aside to marinate.
Clean the liver of any sinew and cut into pieces of your preferred size. Combine the flour, salt, thyme and spices in a small zip-lock bag. Add the liver pieces and shake until evenly coated. Heat oil in a pan and fry until golden. Do not overcook, the liver should remain pink inside. Serve with the accompaniments.
