These are a little labour intensive – but so worth it!! That lovely crunch you can often miss if you are on a carnivore diet is fantastic – and these provide a great alternative to crackers – so good with pate! 

Ingredients:

• Pig Skin
• Salt
• Lard

Directions:

• Place the pig skin in a large pan and bring to the boil.
• Simmer for at least 2 hours until the skin is soft – make sure that the pan does not burn dry!
• Remove from the pan and set on a surface to cool until you are able to handle it.
• Using a very sharp knife, scrap the remaining fat off the skin and discard.
• Place the skin on a baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
• Bake at 160 degrees C until hard.
• Remove from the oven and cool completely.
• Break into pieces.
• Pour enough lard into a small frying pan so that you can fry the pieces (it should be deep enough that the pieces are covered by the melted oil).
• Bring the lard to the boil and keep on a medium heat.
• Test a piece of skin by dropping it into the oil using tongs– when it starts to puff up start to put more pieces in.
• TAKE CARE WITH THE OIL AS IT WILL BE EXTREMELY HOT!
• Take each piece out when it has puffed up completely and pop into a glass jar.
• Work your way through the pieces – adding a few at a time.
• When all the pieces are done turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool.
• The oil will not be good to use again so discard when cool.
• Once the pieces are cool close the lid of the glass jar.
• Enjoy with pate! (Fish pate recipe here or liver pate here).