Saute onion in 8 tablespoons lard until vey limp, but do not brown. Add livers, raise heat, and cook until the last trace of pink disappears from the thickest part of the thickest liver. Cool.

Grind the cooked meat three times, using the medium holes in the meat grinder. (Any roasted, broiled, boiled, baked, braised, or fried meat is good, especially chicken with skin, duck, turkey, prok, veal, or beef, but do not use lamb or mutten.

Grind the livers and onion three times.

Beat the butter and 4 tablespoons lard together in an electric mixer; then, continuing to bea at low speed, blend in the ground liver and meat. Beat until fluffy, then add brandy or cognac and Parisian Spice. Chill and serve with pickles and crusty bread. (The pickles he used at the restuarant were the big Kosher dill ones, sliced paper thin. If you can buy the barrel ones, that would be perfect. Otherwise, buy jar ones in the refrigerated section of the food stores.)

Chef's Secret: In this recipe the method is really more important than the ingredients. As you can see, you have a choice of lard, chicken fa ("smaltz"), or duck fat. You havean option of chicken livers or duck lievers or a mixture of the two. As for the cooked meat, it can be several different kinds. But please do not try to change the procedure. Do not combine the steps.

When you mix the butter with the lard or chicken or duck fat, note that I say, "No other shortening will do." Most any natural shortening will give the pate its necessary fluffiness. Oil will not work, and man-made shortening will give the pate a taste of tallow.

The amount of cognac or brandy may be adjusted somewhat, but if you do not wish to use any alcohol in the pate, you must addd 2 to 3 tablespoons of some other liquid such as chicken broth or beef broth for proper consistency.

Liver gets tough if sated before cooking so don't add salt to it in this or any other recipe. If salt is needed, salt it after cooking.