Romanian Lamb Pâté
Drob is the unavoidable dish of the Romanian Easter table, made specifically from the offal of the lamb slaughtered for the holiday meal — a recipe born from the custom of wasting nothing from a whole animal. Its structure, with a row of whole eggs running through the middle, carries its own Easter symbolism, and slicing it reveals the yellow ring like a small sun at the centre of each piece. What separates a successful drob from a mediocre one comes down to two things: briefly boiling the offal before chopping it, just enough to cook it through without turning it rubbery; and the thin membrane it's wrapped in — without it, the pâté crumbles when sliced, no matter how well the filling is bound on the inside. Serving it cold rather than warm isn't a simple preference: warm, the slices lose their shape and fall apart the moment they hit the plate.
Finely chopped lamb offal
Liver, heart and lungs, briefly boiled beforehand
Fresh herbs in generous amounts
Dill, parsley and spring onion, not just a garnish
Whole boiled eggs through the centre
Slices reveal a perfect yellow ring in the middle
Baked wrapped, not in an open tray
The thin membrane keeps everything compact when sliced
Ingredients 8 servings
- 600g lamb offal (liver, heart, lungs)
- 300g lamb meat, minced
- 150g lamb caul fat (or baking parchment, as a substitute)
- 1 bunch dill, chopped
- 1 bunch parsley, chopped
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 4 eggs, hard-boiled and whole
- 2 raw eggs
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Butter, for greasing the dish
How to make it
- 1BOIL THE OFFAL: put the lamb offal in a pot of salted water and boil for 15-20 minutes, until fully cooked but still firm.
- 2Drain and let it cool.
- 3CHOP FINELY: chop the boiled offal and the raw lamb meat finely, with a knife or through a mincer, until you get a fine, even texture.
- 4MIX THE FILLING: put the minced mixture in a large bowl, add the dill, parsley, spring onion, raw eggs, salt and pepper, and mix well by hand until everything binds together.
- 5PREPARE THE MOULD: butter a loaf tin and line the inside with the stretched-out caul fat, leaving enough hanging over the edges to fold over later.
- 6FILL HALFWAY: put half the mixture into the mould and level it with a spatula.
- 7LAY THE EGGS: place the whole boiled eggs in a row, end to end, along the centre of the mould.
- 8COVER COMPLETELY: add the rest of the mixture over the eggs, pressing gently so there are no gaps, then fold the caul fat over it, sealing completely.
- 9BAKE: bake at 180°C for 55-65 minutes, until nicely browned on top and a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- 10COOL AND SERVE: let the pâté cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours before slicing — it cuts much more cleanly cold than warm.
Nutritional info
per serving (~350 g)
Estimated nutritional values.
Pairs perfectly with
