1/2 pound squirrel liver (you can use any small game liver, actually)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 eggs
1 large onion, minced
4 to 8 cloves crushed fresh garlic
1/4 cup brandy or cognac
1/4 cup cream sherry
1/2 teaspoon powdered allspice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 pound ground seasoned hot sausage
1/4 cup flour
Bacon strips
Method:
Sauté the livers in the butter lightly. Put them in a blender with the eggs, onion, and garlic and blend smooth. Add the brandy and sherry, allspice, salt, and pepper, and blend again briefly. In a large bowl, combine this mixture with the ground sausage, and sprinkle with the flour, mixing well with a large spoon until the consistency is uniform and not lumpy. Line a standard-sized loaf pan with bacon strips, covering the bottom and side completely; leave the ends of the strips free to fold over on top. Pour in the paté mixture, and fold over the bacon strips to cover it. Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake at 350° for 1 1/2 hours. (It is best to put the loaf pan in a second pan or tray, as it will drip heavily when it cooks, and make a mess of the oven if you don't.) After baking the paté, take it out and let it cool for 15 minutes, then pour off the excess fat. Fold the foil into a loose lid and weight it with some reasonably heavy object (a piece of 2x4 and a can of soup work well) and chill in the refrigerator overnight. Unmold carefully the next day and serve with bland crackers.
Note:
This makes a pretty large amount of paté, and the recipe can be cut in half and made in a small loaf pan if you don't want to eat the stuff for a week. I wouldn't make the full recipe unless I were planning a party for a large number of people, preferably 20 or more.