I have been wanting to buy Wild Boar for a while now so when I met TJ Crowe of Crowe Farm (who specialise in high quality pork & bacon products)at Inishfood in Donegal, I had to ask him if he had some.To my delight he did and he killed one a few weeks later. I ordered a shoulder and some liver. I got a huge amount of liver and will be posting further recipes using it and the shoulder. This is a lovely rich pate and the lavender serves to add a more fragrant note to the overall flavour. I think its a perfect weekend lunch recipe served with crusty bread or melba toast and pickles or chutney.

Ingredients :

300g Wild Boar Liver (sliced evenly & soaked in milk for at least 3o mins, membranes removed)300g Butter at room temperature & an extra knob for cooking

2 tsp Dried Lavender

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

2 Shallots, finely diced

2 Garlic cloves, finely diced

A splash of Marsala

Optional: Clarified Butter, 100g

Method:

Place the lavender and salt in a pestle & mortar and grind until fine

Melt a knob of butter in a frying pan, add the garlic & shallots & lavender

Allow to soften over a medium heat

Add the livers to the pan and cook until just done on the inside (cut a piece open to check)

Allow to cool slightly and place in a food processor

Deglaze the pan with the marsala and flambé if desired

Add the lovely bits to the food processor and whizz for a few seconds

Allow to cool for a few minutes then add the rest of the butter

Whizz until smooth and place in serving dish allow to cool.

If using clarified butter, melt butter in a small pan on a VERY low heat and switch heat off. Leave to sit until butter fat rises to the top and the milk solids have sunk to the bottom.Using a small ladle, pour onto surface of the pate & garnish with a sprig of lavender if possible.