James Beards Pate De Campagne Provencale Food

JAMES BEARD'S PATE DE CAMPAGNE PROVENCALE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the pork, veal, liver, pork fat or bacon, garlic, eggs, white pepper, cayenne, allspice, Cognac, basil, salt and black pepper. Mix well. (If you wish to test for seasoning, fry a small piece in a little butter or oil until it's cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary.).
• Line a 2 1/2-quart terrine or baking dish with the bacon or salt pork, reserving two or three strips. Spoon the pate mixture into the baking dish, then place the reserved bacon strips over the top. Cover the pan tightly with a sheet of aluminum foil and bake for one hour. Remove the foil and continue baking for 1 1/2 hours, or until the pate slightly shrinks away from the sides of the baking dish. Remove from the oven and carefully drain off excess fat. Cool.
• Cover tightly with aluminum foil and place a weight (I usually use a brick wrapped with heavy-duty foil) on top. Refrigerate for at least eight hours.
• To serve, cut the pate into 1/2-inch slices or small bite-size chunks and accompany with toast points.

PATE DE CAMPAGNE (COUNTRY PATE)

Steps:

• Set rack at lowest position in oven and preheat to 350°F Boil Cognac until reduced to 1/2 cup, about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool.
• Melt butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent but not brown, about 8 minutes.
• Combine ground pork and chopped bacon in large bowl. Using fork or fingertips, mix together until well blended. Add sauteed onion, garlic, 2 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme, allspice, and pepper to bowl with pork mixture and stir until incorporated. Add eggs, cream, and reduced Cognac. Stir until well blended.
• Line 9x5x3-inch metal loaf pan with bacon slices, arranging 8 slices across width of pan and 3 slices on each short side of pan and overlapping pan on all sides. Using hands, lightly and evenly press half of meat mixture (about 3 1/4 cups) onto bottom of pan atop bacon slices. Arrange ham strips over in single layer. Top with remaining meat mixture.
• Fold bacon slices over, covering pate. Cover pan tightly with foil. Place pan in 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan and transfer to oven. Pour boiling water into baking pan to come halfway up sides of loaf pan. Bake pate until a thermometer inserted through foil into center registers 155°F, about 2 hours 15 minutes.
• Remove loaf pan from baking pan and transfer to rimmed baking sheet. Place heavy skillet or 2 to 3 heavy cans atop pate to weigh down. Chill overnight. DO AHEAD Can be made 4 days ahead.
• Place loaf pan with pate in larger pan of hot water for about 3 minutes. Invert pâté onto platter; discard fat from platter and wipe clean. Cut pate crosswise into 1/2-inch slices.