This pasty is a traditional dish of my husband’s family, being made for all big holidays, especially for Christmas and Easter. I believe, it may be definitely called a traditional festive dish of Western Ukraine.

This is a pasty-mix of liver and meat. It is delicious and good-looking at the festive table but it takes pains to make it. The whole process is labour-intensive and time-consuming, though the result is quite appealing. It is my husband who is engaged with this pasty, since he just loves the preparation for holidays, and the pasty itself, surely :).

I will try to describe the preparation process in as much detail as I can and in plain English, with all family secrets I know ;).

Ingredients

500 g veal
500 g fatty pork
400-500 g veal liver1 chicken or turkey leg (as you like)
4 eggs
1 big carrot
1 parsley
2 onions
salt, pepper

Preparation

Before handling, you should soak veal, pork, and liver in cold water for several hours. It is recommended to select thoroughly the meat for this pasty. Of course, it is better to have young veal and light liver for the pasty to be lighter and more delicate.

	The peeled vegetables (carrot, parsley, and onion) are boiled together with meat in lightly salted water till they are ready.
	Strain the vegetables and meat but don’t pour the broth away, we will need it in the end of making pasty.
	Soak liver in water for several hours changing water regularly and boil it till it’s ready.
	We boiled chicken separately and its broth may be used separately with other purposes of making some kind of soup, for instance.
	Now grind all boiled ingredients (meat and vegetables) in the following sequence:yet warm liver (when it cools off it will lose its elasticity and become grained), then liver combined with fatty meat, then the rest of the ingredients.After that grind everything once more.
	Add eggs, salt, and pepper into the ready mince.
	Mix everything; add little broth remaining after the meat boiling. Stir the pasty.
	Pick the enamel pan for roasting the pasty (the newer the better) for the pasty not to stick.Pour the broth 3-4 cm deep. Put the pasty into the pan with a spoon.
	Even the pasty surface, cover it, and take to the oven.Roast at 220⁰ for about 1.5 hour.If there is liquid left in the pan after roasting, don’t worry and simply leave the pasty under cover to cool off a bit.When it cools off, shake the pan for the pasty to get off the sides and turn it onto a plate.Keep it on the plate before serving of wrap with metalpaper for it not to dry up.
	Cut it into pieces before serving and bon appetit!