Pate and Terrines

Pate is a mixture of cooked ground meat and fat minced into a spreadable paste. Common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or cognac, armagnac or brandy. pate can be served either hot or cold, but it is considered to develop its fullest flavour after a few days of chilling.

In French or Belgian cuisine, pate may be baked in a crust as pie or loaf, in which case it is called pate en croûte or baked in a terrine (or other mould), in which case it is known as pate en terrine. Traditionally, a forcemeat mixture cooked and served in a terrine is also called a terrine. The most famous pate is probably patede foie gras, made from the fattened livers of geese. Foie gras entier is fattened goose liver cooked and sliced, not made into pate. Ppâtéate en croûte is baked with the insertion of “chimneys” on top: small tubes or funnels that allow steam to escape, thus keeping the pastry crust from turning damp or soggy. Baked pate en croûte usually develops an air bubble under the crust top as the meat mixture shrinks during baking; this is traditionally dealt with by infusing semi-liquid aspic in the hollow space before chilling.

In the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Sweden, and Austria, some liver pate are shaped as a soft, often spreadable sausage, called leverworst (Dutch), májpástétom/májkrém (Hungarian), orLeberwurst (German). In the United States these are sometimes called “liverwurst” (mixing English and German), or braunschweiger. Some liverwursts can be sliced. In the US, sliced liverwurst is used as asandwich filler. Others are spreadable as most French or Belgian pate; these types are more popular in the UK. In Poland pasztet is made from poultry, fish, venison, ham, or pork with eggs, flour, bread crumbs, and a varied range of additions, such as pepper, tomato sauce, mushrooms, spices, vegetables, ginger, nutmeg, cheese, or sugar.

In Scandinavia and the Netherlands, leverpostej is a popular baked pate similar to the French pâté en terrine, usually made of lard and pork liver. In Russia and Ukraine, the dish is mostly prepared with beef, goose or chicken liver and thus is commonly known as (Russian, pechyonochniy pashtet), however other meats also can be used. Unlike the Western European method the liver is first cooked (boiled or fried) and mixed with butter and/or fat and seasoning, such as fresh or fried onion, carrots, spices and herbs. It can be further cooked (usually baked), but most often is used without any other preparation. The pate is served on bread, often with dill or other fresh herbs. In the former Yugoslavia, pašteta (a thinly pureed pate) is a very popular bread spread usually made from chicken or less commonlytuna or salmon. In Vietnam, pate (gan xay) is commonly used on bánh mì baguette type sandwiches. Pate of this type is more commonly made from liver.

SMOKED FISH AND GINGER PATE

We used smoked cod fillets in this recipe. Pate can be made up to 3 days ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Recipe unsuitable to freeze.

1kg smoked fish fillets
250g unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons cream

Line 8cm x 26cm bar pan with foil. Poach or microwave fish until tender; drain; cool. Blend or process fish, butter, ginger, pepper and cream until well combined. Press mixture firmly into prepared pan, smooth top. Cover, refrigerate overnight or until firm. Turn pate out, cut into slices to serve.

SEAFOOD TERRINE WITH SCALLOP SAUCE

You can use white fish fillets, if preferred. Terrine can be made a day ahead. This recipe is not suitable to freeze or microwave.

450g sliced smoked salmon

SEAFOOD Filing
500g scallops
350g ocean trout fillet
300g carton sour cream
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon horseradish cream
2 teaspoons paprika
2 teaspoons gelatine
1 tablespoon water
2 egg whites

FISH FILLING
300g ocean trout fillet
1 teaspoon chopped fresh dill

SCALLOP SAUCE
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon dry white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
300ml carton thickened cream
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

Rinse ovenproof dish (5 cup capacity) with cold water, line with plastic wrap. Line dish with two thirds of the smoked salmon, slightly overlapping each slice and allowing ends to overhang. Spread half the seafood filling into dish, cover with fish filling, then remaining seafood filling.

Fold in smoked salmon ends over seafood filling, use remaining salmon to cover top of terrine. Cover, refrigerate several hours or overnight. Turn terrine out, remove plastic wrap. Slice terrine, serve with sauce, caviar and lemon, if desired.

Seafood Filling: Remove roe from half the scallops for sauce; reserve another 4 whole scallops for sauce. Wrap fish and all remaining scallops in lightly greased foil, place in ovenproof dish, bake in moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until seafood is cooked.

Blend or process fish and scallop mixture with sour cream, juice, horseradish and paprika until smooth; transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle gelatine over water in small bowl, stand in small pan of simmering water, stir until dissolved (or microwave on HIGH for about 30 seconds), stir into seafood mixture. Beat egg whites in small bowl until soft peaks form, fold into seafood mixture.

Fish Filling: Wrap fish in lightly greased foil, place in ovenproof dish, bake in moderate oven for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked, cool, flake with fork, combine in medium bowl with dill.

Scallop Sauce: Combine water, wine, juice, reserved scallop roe and the 4 reserved scallops in medium saucepan. Cook over heat, without boiling, for about 2 minutes or until scallops are cooked; drain; cool. Blend or process scallop mixture with cream and mayonnaise until well combined. Stir in dill.

WARM VEGETABLE TERRINE WITH MUSHROOM SAUCE

Terrine can be prepared up to 2 days ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Sauce can be prepared up to a day ahead. Recipe is unsuitable to freeze.

125g butter
1/2 cup plain flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2cup grated tasty cheese
8 eggs, lightly beaten
300g broccoli, chopped
4 medium carrots, chopped
400g cauliflower, chopped

FRESH MUSHROOM SAUCE
60g butter
200g small mushrooms, sliced
300ml carton cream

Melt butter in large saucepan, add flour, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes (or microwave on HIGH for 3 minutes). Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk, stir over high heat (or microwave on HIGH for about 3 minutes) until mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat, add cheese, stir until melted; cool for 10 minutes. Stir in eggs, divide mixture into 3 equal portions.

Boil, steam or microwave vegetables until tender. Line 14cm x 21cm loaf pan with plastic wrap. Blend or process broccoli with one-third of the sauce until smooth. Spread broccoli mixture into prepared pan. Repeat this process with carrots, cauliflower and the remaining sauce. Cover pan with greased foil, place pan into baking dish, pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of pan. Bake in moderate oven for about 2 1/2 hours or until firm; stand for 15 minutes before turning out. Serve sliced with sauce.

Fresh Mushroom Sauce: Melt butter in small saucepan, add mushrooms, stir over low heat for 2 minutes (or microwave on HIGH for 2 minutes). Add cream, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes (or microwave on HIGH for about 4 minutes) or until the mushroom mixture is slightly thickened.

GRAND MARNIER VELVET PATE

Ask your butcher to save you some bone marrow for this recipe. Grand Marnier is an orange-flavoured liqueur. Pété can be made up to 3 days ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Recipe unsuitable to freeze or microwave.

375g chicken livers
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
15g butter
1 bacon rasher, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup orange juice
1/2 small chicken stock cube, crumbled
1 cup stale breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
50g bone marrow
2 eggs
1/3 cup cream
125g butter, melted, extra

Place livers in bowl with liqueur, stand for 2 hours. Drain livers, reserve liqueur. Heat butter in medium frying pan, add bacon and garlic, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes or until bacon is cooked. Add juice, stock cube and breadcrumbs, stir over heat until combined. Blend or process bacon mixture, livers, parsley, bone marrow, eggs, cream and reserved liqueur until smooth. Push mixture through sieve.

Pour into 4 ovenproof dishes (1 1/2 cup capacity), cover each dish with lightly greased foil. Place dishes in baking dish, pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of dishes. Bake in moderately slow oven for about 30 minutes or until set.

Remove dishes; cool. Pour extra butter over each paté. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

PORK AND VEAL TERRINE WITH CRANBERRY PORT SAUCE

Terrine and sauce can be made up to 3 days ahead; keep, covered, in refrigerator. Cointreau is a citrus-flavoured liqueur. This recipe is unsuitable to freeze or microwave.

15g butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
3 green shallots, chopped
250g chicken livers
1 tablespoon brandy
500g pork and veal mince
2 teaspoons grated orange rind
1 tablespoon Cointreau
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon oil
1 medium (250g) pork fillet
7 bacon rashers

CRANBERRY PORT SAUCE
1/2 cup port
1/2 cup cranberry sauce
1 tablespoon grated orange rind
1/4 cup orange juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

Heat butter in large frying pan, add onion, garlic and shallots, stir over medium heat for 2 minutes or until onion is soft. Add livers, stir over medium heat for about 3 minutes or until livers are changed in colour. Stir in brandy; cool. Blend or process mixture until smooth, transfer mixture to large bowl. Stir in mince, rind, liqueur and eggs.

Heat oil in small frying pan, add pork fillet, cook over high heat until browned, drain on absorbent paper. Line ovenproof dish (5 cup capacity) with bacon, spoon half the pork and veal mixture into dish, top with the whole pork fillet, then remaining pork and veal mixture. Fold ends of bacon over filling, cover dish tightly with foil.

Place terrine in baking dish, pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of dish. Bake in slow oven for 2 hours, stand for 10 minutes, turn onto wire rack to drain for 15 minutes; cool, refrigerate overnight. Serve sliced with sauce.

Cranberry Port Sauce: Combine all ingredients in small saucepan, bring to boil, reduce heat, simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until mixture reduces by half. Cool before serving.

suppers and buffets with Bill & Sheila

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