Rustic French Pork and Chicken Pâté
- Total Time
- About 2 hours
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:8 to 10 servings
- 1¾pounds boneless pork shoulder, not too lean
- ¾pound boneless chicken thighs
- 3ounces pancetta or unsmoked bacon, sliced thick
- 1½teaspoons kosher salt
- ½teaspoon finely grated garlic
- 1teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 1teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme
- ¼cup dry white wine
- 1tablespoon Cognac or other brandy
- ¼teaspoon black peppercorns
- ¼teaspoon coriander seeds
- ⅛teaspoon fennel seeds
- 4cloves
- Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- Pinch cinnamon
- Pinch cayenne
- 1bay leaf
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)
306 calories; 23 grams fat; 8 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 1 gram carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 21 grams protein; 302 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Make sure the meat is quite cold, then cut it in 1-inch strips. Grind .75 of the pork shoulder and chicken, plus half the pancetta, to a medium grind. (Or have your butcher do the grinding for you.)
- Step 2
Grind the remaining pork, chicken and pancetta to a coarse grind, or cut by hand with a sharp knife into small cubes about ⅛ inch.
- Step 3
Combine all the meat in a large bowl. Add the salt, garlic, sage and thyme. Pour the wine and Cognac over it, then knead seasonings into the mixture with a wooden spoon, your hands or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.
- Step 4
In a spice mill or mortar, grind the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves to a fine powder. Add to the mixture, along with nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne. Mix again.
- Step 5
Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the seasoned pate; mixture into a 2.5-quart loaf pan. Press the bay leaf on the surface, then cover the pan tightly with foil. (Refrigerate overnight if desired; bring to room temperature before baking.) Place in a deep-sided roasting pan and add hot water to reach half way up the dish. Bake on the middle shelf for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the pate is 160 degrees.
- Step 6
Carefully remove from the oven and cool in the loaf pan, then wrap well and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Keeps a week or more.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Nick
This note is as much for me as it is for any readers.
The flavours are wonderful. There is a danger of oversalting. The pancetta is salty. I tested by fryng a small burger. . . . . the first batch was oversalted. The cayenne & black peppers add a nice bite to the flavour. Again, be careful some cayenne can be very hot.
This recipe can be used to make great tasting pork burgers.
John Dumas
I made this largely as directed (except I substituted allspice for cloves). Next time I might spice it a bit more generously. I also lined my loaf pan with parchment paper. This made removal a breeze and left the pâté with a glittering coat of aspic. I did a coarse grind on the last quarter of the meat; in the future, I'll do a even more coarse 1/8th chop. Maybe even a layer of strips of chicken thighs in the center. Last, I might put the bay leaves on the bottom, so they appear on top.
Peter
Update - After a long Thanksgiving eve of moving my mother-in-law out of her apartment we were all hungry and thirsty. Enter the finished pate which had been resting in the fridge. It easily exceeded my expectations and wowed all everyone present. I served it with some garlicky dill pickles and french bread and a good red wine. The seasoning was delicate but well balanced and I'm already planning my next batch of this great dish.
EOS
This is terrific and can be made ahead, always nice in the busy holiday season. A big hit every year. Be careful to measure temperature to make sure cooked completely, it can take a long time for the center to be completely done.
EOS
also this year I toasted the spices and ground them and it really made the all of the flavors shine.
Chefjimi
As I learned in culinary school, when making pate or sausage it is good to make a small patty and fry it up in a pan to taste. Afterwards you can adjust to preference.
DRC PGH
May I suggest a handle of shelled pistachios? They add a pleasing color, crunch and flavor. Also some finely diced and sauteed carrot, same reasons.
DRC PGH
Followed your lead on the chicken strips and bay leaves, thanks.
SB
Followed the directions to the letter and the result was amazing. Some good mustard, sourdough toast points, and this pate = heaven. I’m not changing a thing. If making the coarse grind with the knife, as I did, a useful trick is to put the last part of the pork shoulder in the freezer first for about 15 minutes. Makes it MUCH easier to cut neatly.
Stephane
I used 1 teaspoon of Morton kosher salt, and it needs more. It also needs more seasoning; perhaps double what's in the recipe. Took 1.5 hours to reach 160 degrees. I was surprised by the amount of liquid released after cooking, as the recipe doesn't mention anything about draining it off. (It was almost all juice, not fat.) I let the pate cool completely in the liquid before draining and wrapping—not sure if this was the right move.
Cindy C
Used sweetbreads instead of chicken. Needs a bit more salt, white pepper, and something more in terms of herbs/spice. Still wonderful.
sheila84
I’m thinking of ways to use the pork tenderloin I have in the freezer and this would fit the bill and tick the box for a holiday project. Any thoughts on substitute pork tenderloin for pork shoulder?
Turk Rocks
We basically doubled the spices and it’s much better.
hazelfield
To begin, my advise is grinding meat is for a proper butcher. I forgot the ground chicken but I found that a pound of veal I had on hand worked just fine. Ditto well-chopped pork belly replaced the planchette. I was cavalier with the spices peeled pistachios. What can I say? Rustic with style.
Geoff Last
This is fairly simple to make but don't expect a traditional style pate. It's more like a gently spiced meatloaf. I'm tempted to add some finely ground chicken liver if I make it again.
cabobobbo
this is a stellar base for starting more lavish or elaborate country patés... i've added strips of duck breast, pork belly, a half cup of pureed chicken livers, pistachios, and leftover leg of lamb that was a bit under-cooked in it's first iteration, plus large-diced guanciale instead of pancetta... amazing paté in all its forms. vacuum sealing thick slices keeps the finished product fresh for weeks, and have made great drop-off gifts for all my quarantined friends in the CA desert cities!
Michael
Question: In step 1, it says to "Grind .75 of the pork shoulder and chicken, plus half the pancetta, to a medium grind." Then in step 2 it says, "Grind the remaining pork, chicken and pancetta to a coarse grind." But there is only .75 lbs of chicken in the recipe. Should I grind half of the chicken medium and the other half coarse? Or grind it all medium?
Kevin
I too got caught up here, but I think they meant .75 of the whole amount, or 3/4 of all you have.
Doris
I just took mine out of the oven and it looks great. Just a few things I discovered: The loaf pan is the typical, 1.5 qt pan, not 2.5 qt as noted. I sprayed the pan for easy removal. Definitely fry a patty to taste for seasonings. Based on other reviews, I only used 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt and it was perfect. Bake time at 375 was 1.5 hours to get to 160 internal temp. Time to prep was just over 2 hours, although some steps could be done in advance.
PF
Nice recipe. I haven't made it (yet) but it's the perfect excuse to buy a digital probe thermometer.
Chefjimi
As I learned in culinary school, when making pate or sausage it is good to make a small patty and fry it up in a pan to taste. Afterwards you can adjust to preference.
GambaGirlICT
Any advice on grinding the meat at home? I've just ordered a meat grinder attachment for my KA mixer, but wondered if the grinding could be done with a food processor?
Beulah
What fun! Haven't made it yet but I have a piece of pork I'd like to use up and I have every single thing on the ingredient list, What a lovely project.
Rebecca
I don't have a meat grinder. Is it possible to prep the meats in a food processor?
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