Entree: France – Paris & Ile-de-France – Pâté en Croûte (Seasoned forcemeat of mixed meats and liver baked inside a pastry crust and finished with aspic)

Serving Size: 6

Approximate Time

Prep 45 min

Cook 1 hr 30 min

Additional 12 hrs

Total 14 hrs 15 min

Ingredients

- 1 lb (450 g) shortcrust pastry (store-bought or homemade pâte brisée)
- 1 lb (454 g) pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1 in (2.5 cm) pieces
- 8 oz (225 g) veal shoulder or lean veal, cut into pieces
- 8 oz (225 g) pork fatback or fatty bacon, trimmed and cut into pieces
- 6 oz (170 g) chicken livers, trimmed
- 4 oz (115 g) smoked ham or prosciutto, thinly sliced for lining
- 1 small onion, finely chopped (about 3 oz / 85 g)
- 2 cloves (6 g) garlic, minced
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) heavy cream
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) Cognac or brandy
- 2 tsp (10 g) kosher salt
- 1 tsp (2 g) ground white pepper
- 1/2 tsp (1 g) ground mace or nutmeg
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh parsley
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp (1 g) dried thyme
- 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp (15 ml) water for egg wash
- 1 cup (240 ml) rich chicken or veal stock
- 1 tbsp (9 g) powdered gelatin (or 2 envelopes, ~7 g total, adjusted per package instructions)

Instructions

1. Prepare the forcemeat: chill all meats thoroughly. Pass pork shoulder, veal, and fatback through a meat grinder fitted with a medium plate. Pulse chicken livers briefly through the grinder or chop finely; keep very cold.
2. In a bowl combine ground meats and livers with chopped onion, garlic, eggs, cream, Cognac, parsley, thyme, salt, white pepper, and mace. Mix by hand or with a stand mixer on low until mixture is tacky and well combined. Chill 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Roll out two-thirds of the pastry to line a 9 x 5 in (23 x 13 cm) loaf mold (or a pâté en croûte mold), leaving an overhang. Line with thin slices of ham, overlapping to cover the bottom and sides.
4. Pack half the forcemeat into the lined mold, pressing to eliminate air pockets. If desired, create a small decorative rolled strip of pastry or include a thin piece of marrow or pistachios down the center. Top with remaining forcemeat and level.
5. Roll the remaining pastry to form the lid. Brush edges with egg wash, cover the mold, and crimp to seal. Cut a few small vents in the top for steam. Brush the crust with egg wash.
6. Bake uncovered 75–90 minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°F (71°C) and crust is deeply golden. If crust browns too quickly, tent with foil.
7. While the pâté bakes, warm the stock. Sprinkle gelatin over 2–3 tbsp (30–45 ml) cold water to bloom for 5 minutes, then whisk into warm stock until fully dissolved and strain; keep warm.
8. Remove pâté from oven and let cool 20 minutes. Carefully unmold and place on a rack over a tray. Pour the warm gelée through the vents or small holes made in the pâté until the filling appears just set and the cavity is filled. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate overnight to fully set.
9. When set, remove from mold, slice with a sharp knife, and serve chilled or at cool room temperature with mustard, cornichons, and good bread.