Australian Game Pâté
Pâté is where a smallgoods maker shows their hand. There’s nowhere to hide in it — no smoke to lean on, no marinade doing the heavy lifting. Either you understand the meat or you don’t.
We do five. Kangaroo, emu, crocodile, wild boar, and a duck and mushroom for anyone who wants to work up to the rest. Each one is $9.95, and each one tastes like the animal it came from rather than like pâté in general.
The range
Kangaroo pâté — $9.95
Deep, iron-rich and unmistakably red. The most robust of the five. If you like a proper coarse country pâté, start here. Buy kangaroo pâté →
Emu pâté — $9.95
Savoury and slightly sweet, with the iron backbone emu is known for. More approachable than the kangaroo, and the one that most often converts people. Buy emu pâté →
Crocodile pâté — $9.95
The surprise. Delicate, clean and mild — closer to a fine fish or chicken liver pâté than anything you’d expect from a reptile. This is the one that ends arguments at a cheese board. Buy crocodile pâté →
Wild boar pâté — $9.95
Rich, dark and properly gamey. The most traditional of the five, and the one a German smallgoods family was always going to be good at. Buy wild boar pâté →
Duck & mushroom pâté — $9.95
Earthy, smooth and familiar. The gateway. Buy this one alongside the crocodile and watch which one disappears first. Buy duck & mushroom pâté →
How to serve it
Get it out of the fridge twenty minutes before you want to eat it. Cold pâté tastes like nothing — this is the single most common mistake people make with it.
Then keep it simple. Good bread or a plain cracker, something sharp and acidic on the side — cornichons, pickled onions, a bit of quince paste if you’re going sweet. A dark beer or a red with some structure to it.
If you’re building a board, the crocodile and the wild boar sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, and putting them next to each other is the most interesting thing you can do with $20 of charcuterie.
A German smallgoods family, making Australian pâté
Karutz has been family-owned since 2005 and at the Fremantle Markets since 2010. We came up through German charcuterie — mettwurst, salami, biersticks — which is a tradition that takes pâté seriously and always has.
Artisan Game is what happened when we pointed that technique at Australian animals. The method is old. The meat isn’t.
Questions
How long does pâté keep?
Check the pack. Once opened, keep it refrigerated, covered, and eat it within a few days.
Which one should I start with?
Duck & mushroom if you’re cautious, crocodile if you’re curious, wild boar if you already know what you like.
Is game pâté strong-tasting?
It varies a lot across the five. Crocodile is mild and delicate. Wild boar is rich and gamey. Kangaroo sits closer to the boar, emu closer to the middle.
Do you ship pâté?
Australia-wide, 1–3 days. Free over $150. Or buy it from us in person at the Fremantle Markets, Friday to Sunday and public holidays, 8am–6pm.