Liverwurst & Braunschweiger
An unbelievably good recipe of red onions, red lentils, walnuts, and seasonings. The main recipe is for Liverwurst, but you can smoke it to make Braunschweiger.
Equipment
- Food processor
Ingredients
- 1 large red onion, diced 14oz/400g after peeling/trimming (about the size of a softball, roughly 2.5-3 cups diced)
- 1 cup red lentils, dry
- 1½ cups water
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ heaping cup frozen walnuts (2 ounces)
- 1 tsp Kosher salt (use a scant tsp if using a finer-grained salt)
- ½ tsp Craig's Liverwurst Seasoning recipe below
Craig's Liverwurst Seasoning (Makes About 7 Batches)
- 1½ tsp white pepper, ground
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground allspice
- ¼ tsp rubbed sage
- ½ tsp marjoram, dried
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
Instructions
Soften The Onions
- Heat a nonstick skillet over low/medium-low heat and add diced onion. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so until onion softens and loses its bite. A bit of caramelization is okay, but don't quickly brown them, they should be glossy and pink on one side.
Cook The Lentils
- While the onions cook, add red lentils, water, and bay leaf to a saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to just simmering, cover, reduce heat to low and simmer until lentils are cooked, have a bit of bite to them, but are not creamy.
- While the onions and the lentils cook, mix together all ingredients in Craig's Liverwurst Seasoning, and if possible, grind them in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle (Liverwurst seasonings are typically all ground, so we need to grind the sage and marjoram with the rest).
Let Lentils and Onions Cool Down a Bit
- Once onions are cooked, take off heat and let them start to cool.
- Once lentils are cooked, take off heat and let them start to cool.
- After about 20-30 minutes, the onions and lentils should be just warm.
Process in Food Processor
- Discard the bay leaf.
- Add onions, lentils, and walnuts to the food processor with an "S" blade. Process until mixed, about 30-45 seconds.
- Add ½ tsp liverwurst seasoning. Process until mixed, about 15 seconds.
- Add kosher salt as desired (I used 1 tsp), Process until mixed, taste for salt, and add more if desired. Don't over-season - the flavors will harmonize and intensify as it chills and rests.
Wait at Least 2-3 Hours
- Refrigerate a few hours until cool, serve cool or at room temperature or dry fried in a pan. This stores very well in the fridge for several days. During the waiting time, the flavors will continue to meld and the color will darken to a wonderfully classic gray-pink color.
Braunschweiger (Smoked Liverwurst)
- To make Braunschweiger, wrap the Liverwurst in smoker-friendly casing (I've used natural muslin in the past) and smoke low & slow (175-225F) 2-3 hours in low heat. I prefer lighter wood blends such as Apple-Hickory or Pecan if you have it!
Notes
I often use frozen walnuts in recipes because it helps to keep recipes that are blended or prepared in a food processor from overheating.
This plant-based, vegan Liverwurst and Braunschweiger pairs well with snacks and appetizers, but is hearty enough to lead a meal.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!