Country Pate
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons butter
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 tablespoon course salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice or 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1 bay leaf
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 medium eggs
3 tablespoons Cognac or other brandy
1/2 lb chicken livers, trimmed
1 lb ground fatty pork shoulder or half lean pork and half fresh pork fatback (without rind)
1/2 lb ground fatty veal (preferably veal breast)
1/2 lb baked ham (1/2-inch slice), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
14 bacon slices (about 3/4 lb)
Special equipment:
1. An electric coffee/spice grinder
2. A 6-cup terrine mold or loaf pan
3. An instant-read thermometer
Accompaniments:
• cornichons
• mustard; bread or crackers
Assemble and marinate terrine:
• Cook onion in butter in a 10-inch heavy skillet, covered, over moderately low heat, stirring frequently, until soft, about 10 minutes.
• Add garlic and thyme and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
• Transfer to a large bowl set in a bowl of ice.
• While onion cools, pulse salt, peppercorns, allspice, nutmeg, and bay leaf in grinder until finely ground.
• Add to onion mixture and whisk in cream, eggs, and brandy until combined well.
• Pulse chicken livers in a food processor until finely chopped.
• Add to onion mixture along with ground pork and veal.
• Mix together well with your hands or a wooden spoon.
• Stir in ham cubes.
• Line bottom and long sides of terrine mold crosswise with about 6 to 9 strips of bacon.
• Arrange them close together but not overlapping, leaving a 1/2- to 2-inch overhang.
• Fill terrine evenly with ground-meat mixture, rapping terrine on counter to compact it (it will mound slightly above edge).
• Cover top of terrine lengthwise with 2 or 3 more bacon slices if necessary to cover completely, and fold overhanging ends of bacon back over these.
• Cover terrine with plastic wrap and chill at least 8 hours to marinate meats.
Bake terrine:
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Discard plastic wrap and cover terrine tightly with a double layer of foil.
• Bake terrine in a water bath until thermometer inserted diagonally through foil at least 2 inches into center of terrine registers 155 to 160°F, 1 3/4 to 2 hours.
• Remove foil and let terrine stand in mold on a rack, 30 minutes.
Weight terrine:
• Put terrine in mold in a cleaned baking pan.
• Put a piece of parchment or wax paper over top of terrine.
• Place on top of parchment another same-size terrine mold or a piece of wood or heavy cardboard cut to fit inside mold and wrapped in foil.
• Put 2 to 3 (1-pound) cans on terrine or on wood or cardboard to weight cooked terrine.
• Chill terrine in pan with weights until completely cold, at least 4 hours.
• Continue to chill terrine, with or without weights, at least 24 hours to allow flavors to develop.
To serve:
• Run a knife around inside edge of terrine and let stand in mold in a pan with 1 inch of hot water (to loosen the bottom) for 2 minutes.
• Tip terrine mold (holding terrine) to drain excess liquid.
• Invert a cutting board over terrine.
• Reinvert terrine onto cutting board, and gently wipe outside of terrine (bacon strips) with a paper towel.
• Let terrine stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
• Transfer to a platter if desired and cut, as needed, into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
Cooks’ notes:
• Terrine can be marinated (before baking) up to 24 hours.
• Terrine keeps, wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled, 2 weeks.
Serves 14
Tags: bacon slices, chicken livers, ground allspice, onion mixture, terrine mold, veal breastRelated recipe posts
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