Country Liver Pate Food

COUNTRY STYLE PATE - AMERICAN TEST KITCHEN RECIPE

Steps:

• In a skillet sweat the onion with the butter over medium heat until translucent, about 3 minutes .
• Combine 1 lb ground pork, 1/2 lb diced bacon, and 6 oz chopped liver until evenly distributed.
• In a separate bowl mix 1 egg, 2 Tbsp heavy whipping cream, 3-4 garlic cloves, 2 Tbsp thyme, ½ tsp ground pepper and 1½ tsp salt.
• Now bring the meat mixture, 2 Tbsp heavy cream mixture, diced carrots, cornichons and onions together and mix thoroughly.
• Place 1 bay leaf into the bottom of each 3" x 6" mini loaf pan, or 2-3 leaves if you're using one 4" x 9". Line the form with bacon, slightly overlapping, and allowing the ends to hang over the form. You will later wrap the filling with the ends that overhang. I cut each strip in half, instead of using the whole strip, which I regretted later.
• Drop the baking form against a counter several times, to bring out any bubbles that might have formed and to compact the meat mixture in. Cover the filled loaf pan with foil and wrap the ends tightly against the sides of the pan. Now put the filled loaf pans into a 3 inch rimmed baking pan. Fill the baking pan with hot boiling water until it comes halfway to the filled loaf pans. Put the baking a probe thermometer in the middle of one of the filled pans and extend the cord to the outside of the oven.
• Place in preheated to 350F oven and bake until the thermometer registers 165F.
• Remove the baking pan from the oven. Remove loaf pans, discard the liquid. Place the loaf pans back into the baking dish. Place something flat on top (like a cutting board) and put something heavy on top to compress the terrine and make it less crumbly when cutting. When the terrine has cooled to room temperature, remove the weight, clean the outside of the loaf pans and refrigerate for about 5-6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to serve, place the loaf pan into a bowl of hot water for about 20-30 seconds. Unwrap the foil from the top, place a plate or serving board on top and with one swift motion invert the terrine onto the plate. For cleaner cuts, dip a knife into hot water, wipe it and then cut the terrine into slices. Serve with pickles and fresh loaf of bread.

COUNTRY PATE

Steps:

• Trim veal or chicken and pork of excess fat and tendons. Skin fatback. Cut into 1 inch cubes and pass through largest hole of a meat grinder. Transfer to a large bowl. Stir in salt, pepper, and applejack. Cover with plastic wrap touching the mixture and refrigerate at least 1 day or as long as 3.
• After marinating, heat oil in a medium skillet over high heat. Saute livers until well browned, about 1 minute per side. Remove from pan and set aside to cool. Add garlic and cook about 1/2 minute, being careful not to let it color. Reserve garlic with liver.
• Add brandy and bay leaves to same skillet. Scrape bottom of pan to loosen brown bits and cook over low heat until warm, about 5 minutes. Set aside to cool and remove and discard bay leaves.
• Dip white bread in warm water to soften. Squeeze out excess moisture. Add to the liver and garlic along with 2 cups marinated ground meat, allspice, nutmeg, and brandy. Stir to combine.
• Transfer to a food processor, add eggs, and puree until a smooth paste is formed. This paste will bind the pate. Place puree in a large bowl, add remaining ground meat, and combine well. (We recommend using your hands, not a spoon, to combine this dense mixture.)
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
• Line a 9 by 5 by 3 inch glass or ceramic loaf pan with bacon slices so they overhang lengthwise, about 3 inches on each end. Slice ham and tongue into 4 by 1/2 by 1/2 inch julienne strips.
• Spread about a cup of pate evenly over the bacon to cover the bottom. Arrange alternating strips of ham and tongue lengthwise, over the pate. Repeat this procedure, alternating pate with strips
• of ham and tongue, until pan is filled and top layer is pate. (When the loaf is sliced you will see a regular pattern of solids and pate.) Fold overhanging bacon over the top. (The pate may rise slightly over the top of the pan. That's OK.)
• Tap pan against a counter to firmly pack. Garnish top with bay leaves and garlic cloves. Cover with 2 layers aluminum foil, tucking edges under to completely seal. Place inside a larger pan and pour in boiling water until it rises halfway up the sides of the pate. Bake 2 hours 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.
• Place cooled pate on a baking sheet and cover with another baking sheet. Top with some 3 pounds of weights (canned goods or milk cartons are good) and refrigerate overnight or as long as 2 weeks. This compacts the pate and makes it easier to slice.
• To serve, remove and discard the bay leaf and garlic garnish. To loosen, dip pan's bottom in warm water and run a knife along inside edges. Invert onto a serving platter. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and serve on lettuce leaves.

COUNTRY LIVER PATE

Steps:

• In 10 inch skillet over medium high heat add 1/4 cup butter.
• Add chicken liver, green onions and garlic, cook about 5 minutes, until tender yet still slightly pink inside.
• Stir in white wine and hot sauce. Cover and simmer on medium low heat 5 minutes.
• In a blender at low speed, blend cooked liver mixture until smooth, scraping sides with a spatula.
• In the same skillet over low heat melt remaining 1/2 cup butter. Add this and salt & pepper to liver mixture.
• Refrigerate at least 6 hours. Add mayonaise to liver pate strring well.

CHICKEN LIVER PATE

Steps:

• In a skillet over medium heat, saute the onions in half of the olive oil until caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove half of the onions from the skillet and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil and continue cooking over high heat until the onions are crispy and golden brown; add more olive oil if necessary. Drain on paper towels, season with salt and pepper and set aside for garnish.
• In a small pot of salted simmering water, poach the chicken livers for 5 minutes on low heat. Drain on paper towels.
• In a food processor, puree the livers with the carrots, 2 hard-boiled eggs and the caramelized onions until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Add nutmeg. Push through a fine mesh sieve if desired.
• Pack the mousse into a serving dish and smooth the top. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
• Garnish with the crispy onions and grate the remaining 2 hard-boiled eggs right before serving. Serve with bread, toasts or crackers.

COUNTRY TERRINE

Steps:

• 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, then add to onion mixture along with ground pork and veal and 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, arranging them close together (but not overlapping) and 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°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, then 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 bottom) 2 minutes. Tip terrine mold (holding terrine) to drain excess liquid, then 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, then transfer to a platter if desired and cut, as needed, into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

COUNTRY TERRINE

Steps:

• Clean the chicken livers - cut away any sinew, blood or green bits, then set enough aside to run along the length of your terrine dish or loaf tin. Chop the rest into small cubes. Tip all the ingredients - except the prosciutto, whole livers and cornichons, etc, to serve - into a large bowl. Season and mix well with your hands. If you have time, you can cover and set aside in the fridge for the flavours to mingle for a few hours or overnight.
• Line the base and sides of a 1kg terrine dish or small loaf tin with baking parchment. Then carefully line the base and sides of the dish/tin with the overlapping slices of prosciutto (A), leaving some hanging over the side and a few slices for the top. Pack half the meat mixture down into the terrine and press down. Lay a row of chicken livers down the middle of the terrine (B), then add the rest of the meat mixture and press down. Lay the remaining prosciutto over the top, then lift the slices from the sides up and over, and cover the dish with foil.
• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 6. If you have a spare cardboard box in your kitchen, cut a piece of card out slightly larger than the base of the terrine. Put it in a deep roasting tray and sit the terrine on top (this helps the terrine to cook evenly). Boil a kettle and pour in enough water so it comes halfway up the terrine. Carefully place it on the middle shelf of the oven and cook for 1 hr.
• Remove the tin from the oven, take out the terrine and leave to cool completely. Place on a plate or a tray with another flat tray on top, weigh down with a few cans and leave to chill overnight. To turn out the terrine, slip a knife between the paper and the terrine to loosen it, then turn it out onto a board. Wipe off the jelly and either serve straight away sliced or wrap in cling film and slice later. Serve with toasted bread - a favourite of mine is walnut bread and some nice leaves dressed with walnut oil. You can keep the terrine for up to two days, but it will start to lose its colour.