Hunter says liver and heart make the secret to good game pâté

Hunter and cook Kerlin Ledis says liver and heart are key ingredients in a good game pâté. She shared her cooking tips on ERR’s morning programme Terevisioon.

Ledis said she can make tasty dishes from almost every part of a wild animal. She added that it can be difficult to tell the difference between the flavours of different game meats, and said she prefers lean meat. Unlike some home cooks, she generally does not add wild boar or fat to moose meat.

She has carried goat meat home from the forest herself. Although other commitments have left her with less time for hunting in recent years, she said she quickly gets caught up in the excitement when she goes into the forest, either as a driver or with a gun.

Meat from a hunted wild animal is tested before it is cooked, Ledis said. For her pâté, she uses liver and heart, and adds Vana Tallinn as a seasoning. She said she sometimes receives a box of meat left outside her kitchen door, cooks it and shares the food with friends.

A game-meat week called Mokast sabani, meaning “from nose to tail”, is due to take place next week. Ledis said she enjoys cooking tongue, heart and liver, but is less keen on kidneys. She has not made tail soup.