Paté en croute

  • medium
  • 12
  • 1 hour 30 minutes plus cooling time
Not yet rated

Paté en croute is a delicious meat pie wrapped in hot water crust pastry and served at room temperature. As it is cooked completely in advance, it makes an excellent starter. Use very high quality beef stock or make the beef tea yourself using this recipe.

First published in 2022

Ingredients

Metric

Imperial

Hot water crust pastry

  • 2.2kg plain flour
  • 800g of lard
  • 880ml of water
  • 4 eggs

Pie mix

Pie jelly

  • 700ml of beef tea (see recipe description), or best-quality beef stock
  • 14 bronze gelatine leaves

Equipment

  • Thermometer
  • Terrine mould

Method

1

To make the pastry, bring the water and lard up to the boil then pour into the flour and mix. Add in the eggs and, once cool enough to handle, knead for 5 minutes

  • 800g of lard
  • 880ml of water
  • 2.2kg plain flour
  • 4 eggs
2

Take a third of the dough and set it aside (this will be for the lid). Roll out the remaining two-thirds of dough into a sheet around 5mm thick and leave to cool. Separately roll out the dough for the lid to the same thickness

3

Place the minced pork shoulder in a bowl along with the diced pancetta and loin, chopped garlic and sage and mix thoroughly. Season with pink salt and white pepper and fry off a small amount to check the seasoning. Chop the foie gras into neat cubes, then gently fold it into the mixture

4

Line a 30cm terrine mould with the bigger sheet of pastry and fill with the pie mix. Top the terrine with the pastry lid and seal by trimming the the lid and the overhang, then rolling the sides neatly back onto the top of the pie

5

Preheat an oven to 200ºC/gas mark 6

6

Make five holes at either end of the lid. Make little funnels out of tin foil and place them into each of the holes. Egg wash the rest of the pie. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 180ºC/gas mark 4 and continue cooking until the internal temperature reads 65ºC. Leave to cool, then place in the fridge to chill completely

  • 1 egg, beaten with a pinch of salt
7

Once the pie has chilled, make the jelly. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes and heat the beef tea (or stock) until just below simmering. Squeeze the gelatine leaves to drain, then stir them into the liquid until dissolved. Transfer to a jug and carefully pour the jelly into the pie (using the funnels to help you) until it reaches the top of the pie. Remove the funnels and return the pie to the fridge to set. When ready to serve, slice with a serrated knife and enjoy at room temperature with cornichons and mustard

  • 700ml of beef tea (see recipe description), or best-quality beef stock
  • 14 bronze gelatine leaves
First published in 2022

Matt is the head chef at Maison Francois in London.

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