Brandy Pate

I grew up thinking pate was raw meat. Coming from a home where nothing was eaten in its raw state, except for some fruit (mum even steamed paw paw), pate was a horrifying idea. Mum upheld the rule that cold foods "cooled" down the body. I accepted this as a cardinal rule, never to be questioned. Since becoming an adult responsible for my own diet, I've delved into raw meats, namely sashimi which I adore (Tsukiji fish markets in Tokyo = heaven), and have discovered that pate is not made from raw meat. I've even ventured so far as to cooking a sort of pate for my toddler with chicken livers and onions, which we didn't mind at all. It was even sort of nice.

So I thought it was fitting that for our inaugural appetizer should be one Brandy Pate. Note the mousse-like consistency and the layer of melted butter to extend the life of the pate. It looks dreadful!