I did not realize how lazy I had become until my local gourmet food market stopped carrying my favorite country pâté. I used to make it all the time, but somewhere along the way convinced myself it was easier to let someone else make it for me. Why not? So imagine my surprise when I discovered a few weeks ago that it was being removed from their “most favored foods” list. Time to dust off my old recipe.
Country Pâté Recipe
Ingredients:
3/4 pound ground veal
3/4 pound ground chicken
1/2 pound ground bacon
1/2 pound ground pork fat
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoon freshly gound pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon cardamom
4 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup cognac
4 eggs, lightly beaten
1 minced onion
1/2 cup black walnuts or pistachios, coarsely chopped
sliced bacon, as needed, to line terrines
Preparation:
Combine chicken, veal, pork, bacon and bread crumbs in a mixing bowl. Combine pepper, salt, cardamom, garlic, cognac, eggs, onion and nuts in another bowl. Stir both mixtures together until well blended. Set aside.
Line two (2) 9X5 or three (3) 3-1/2X 5-1/2 terrines with bacon slices. Allow enough bacon to hang over sides to cover meat mixture when terrine is filled. Divide mixture evenly among the terrines and finish covering with the bacon slices. Cover terrines with foil and put in a baking pan half-filled with boiling water. Bake for 2 hours, or until internal temperature reaches 140º. Remove from oven.
Place weights (can be bricks covered with foil) on the top of pâté and refrigerate overnight or, up to 2 days. Unmold and serve at room temperature with herb mustard.
Herb Mustard Recipe:
1-1/2 cup dijon mustard
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
1/2 teaspoon tarragon, dried
1/2 teaspoon thyme, dried
1/2 teaspoon basil, dried
1/2 teaspoon oregano, dried
1 clove garlic, minced
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Mix all ingredients together and refrigerate.
