Kudu pâté with prunes and pistachio nuts
Ingredients
- 250g kudu, minced
- 400g duck livers
- 1kg pork belly, rind removed
- 150g bacon, diced
- 200g porcini mushrooms, chopped
- knob of butter
- 60ml (¼ cup) brandy
- 125ml (½ cup) port
- 60ml (¼ cup) orange juice
- 125 large prunes, pitted
- 2 large eggs
- 100g pistachio nuts, shelled
- 10ml (2 tsp) salt
- oil, for brushing
- 12 strips streaky bacon
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 160°C.
Using a hand mincer, mince together the kudu, duck livers, pork belly and diced bacon.
Sauté the mushrooms in butter over medium heat until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
Reduce the brandy, port and orange juice to 125ml (½ cup).
Add the prunes to the port reduction, remove from the stove and set aside to cool.
Place the minced meats in a large bowl. Add the cooled mushrooms and port reduction with the prunes to the bowl.
Gently mix in the two eggs, pistachios and salt. Combine until all the ingredients are well incorporated. Do not overmix.
Brush a 28cm x 10cm loaf tin with oil and line with foil.
Lay the strips of streaky bacon in the tin, letting them overhang on the sides.
Place the meat mixture into the mould, neatly fold over the bacon to cover the top.
Cover with foil and place in a deep baking tray. Fill with as much hot water as possible and bake for 90 minutes.
Remove from the water bath and allow to cool to room temperature.
Place in the fridge and allow to set overnight.
Remove from the mould, wipe down the side with paper towel to clean the pâté and wrap in plastic wrap.
Return to the fridge and allow flavours to develop for at least two days before serving.
TO SERVE
Place on a serving platter, slice into 1 – 2cm slices. It’s stunning with a bitter leaf salad, strong mustard, cornichons and crusty bread.
PERFECTLY PAIRED WITH: Due to the meaty, gamey nature of this dish and the concentration of the port and brandy reduction, as well as the richness of the pork, you need the structure of a rich, ripe red wine to offset the richness. We are definitely in shiraz or shiraz-led blend territory here. Think the Mas Nicholas or Rust en Vrede Shiraz.
A delicious Porter-style beer – dark and broody – should suffice. A perfectly poured pint of Guinness would go down a treat.
