Country Pate' with Pistachios

Name: Country Pate' with Pistachios
Total time: P1H
Yield: 8
Cuisine: Fusion
Ingredients: butter; shallots; pork liver; thyme; bay leaves; veal; pork; ham; pistachio nuts; allspice; cloves; cloves; nutmeg; cumin; cinnamon; cayenne pepper; white wine; salt; black pepper; bacon

Submitted by irishwheaty

A French-style country pate with veal, pork, liver, and ham studded with toasted pistachios. Warm spices and white wine give it depth. Excellent served hot or cold. Serves 8.

YIELD

8 servings

PREP

15 min

COOK

45 min

READY

1 hrs

Making your own pate sounds intimidating until you realize it’s mostly chopping, mixing, and letting the oven do the work.

Veal and pork get ground to different textures in a food processor, giving the finished pate both a smooth base and satisfying coarse bits. Liver blended silky-smooth adds that unmistakable richness that defines a proper country pate.

Diced ham and toasted pistachios are folded in by hand, creating jeweled cross-sections of green and pink when you slice through.

Allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, and a pinch of cayenne layer warmth and complexity, while dry white wine ties it all together.

Baked in a water bath with bacon draped across the top, this pate is just as good sliced cold the next day with cornichons and crusty bread as it is served warm from the oven.

Chef Tips

Fry a small test patty before packing the loaf pan. This is your only chance to adjust seasoning before committing the full batch
Grind the veal finer and the pork coarser for a pate with interesting texture rather than a uniform paste
The water bath is critical. It keeps the temperature gentle and prevents the pate from drying out or cracking
Let it rest at least 30 minutes before slicing for the cleanest cuts

Ingredients

TABLESPOON BUTTER

CUP SHALLOT
coarsely chopped *

POUND PORK LIVER
or veal liver, *

TEASPOON THYME
dry *

BAY LEAVES
crumbled *

POUND VEAL
lean, cut into 1-inch

POUND PORK
lean, cut into 1-inch

POUND HAM
cooked, cut into 1/2-i

CUP PISTACHIO NUTS
shelled, toasted

⅛

TEASPOON ALLSPICE

⅛

TEASPOON CLOVES
ground

TEASPOON NUTMEG
fresly grated

⅛

TEASPOON CUMIN
ground

PINCH CINNAMON
ground *

PINCH CAYENNE PEPPER *

CUP WHITE WINE
dry *

SALT
to taste if desired *

BLACK PEPPER
to taste *

SLICESS BACON
lean

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425℉ (220℃).
Heat the butter in a heavy skillet and add the shallots. Cook briefly, stirring. Add the liver and sprinkle with the thyme and bay leaf. Cook about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Put the veal in a food processor or blender and blend it slightly finer than store-bought hamburger. Empty the veal into a mixing bowl.
Put the pork in the food processor or blender and blend it a little coarser than store-bought hamburger. Add the pork to the veal.
Put the liver mixture in the food processor or blender and blend it as finely as possible. Pour and scrape it into the bowl with the pork and veal. Add the ham and pistachios. Add the allspice, cloves, nutmeg, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, wine, salt and pepper and blend well with your fingers. To test the mixture for seasoning, shape a small portion into a patty and cook it, turning once, in a nonstick sillet until cook through. Taste the patty and add more seasonings as desired.
Pack the mixture in a 5- or 6-cup loaf pan. Smooth the top, rounding it slightly. Place the bacon slices on top. Cover tightly with foil and place the pan in a heatproof baking dish . Set the dish on the stove and pour in boiling water around the loaf pan. Bring the water to a boil. Place the pan in the water bath in the oven and bake 45 minutes or to an internal temperature of 150F. Remove the pan from the oven and let stand until ready to serve.
The pate’ is excellent hot or cold. Cut it crosswise into slices and serve.

* not incl. in nutrient facts

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