My Family’s Country-Style Pâté (aka French Meatloaf)
o 1 medium onion, chopped in FP
o butter
o big splash brandy or cognac (no need to use the good stuff)
o 2/3 lb EACH ground veal, ground pork and ground dark meat turkey
o 1/3 chicken livers, cleaned and chopped in FP after onions
o 2 cloves garlic, minced
o 1 egg, beaten
o generous 1/2 tsp allspice
o 1 generous tsp EACH salt and pepper (really)
o cheap fatty non-smoky, non-maple bacon (store brand is usually just right)
o bay leaf or two
optional additions
o about 1/4 to 1/3 cup shelled pistachios
o about 1/4 to 1/3 cup dried currants
o about 1/4 to 1/3 cup diced dried apricots
o 1/4 inch strips of baked ham – enough to go end to end in the pan in one or two rows
o Note on optional additions: only use one or two, not more
variation
o use ground venison instead of ground turkey and add 2 or 3 finely minced juniper berries
Preheat oven to 350.
Sauté onion in butter until translucent, add brandy and cook until almost evaporated. Cool.
Add to remaining ingredients (including any optional ingredients except ham strips) and mix very well.
Line a 1.5 quart loaf pan with bacon, allowing the ends to hang over so you can fold them over the top when filled.
Pack the pâté mix in very firmly firmly so there are no air holes, adding the ham strips (if using) down the middle when half-filled then topping so that when the pâté is sliced they will make an attractive pattern in the middle in cross-section. Top with one or two bay leaves, then fold bacon over, covering completely.
Tightly cover with a triple layer of aluminum foil.
Place in a baking pan and pour water halfway up the side of the loaf pan.
Bake to 140 internal temp, about 1 hour (it will continue to cook a bit on the counter).
Remove from water bath onto a cookie sheet or similar, leave covered, and weight down with bricks until cool (juices will gush out, hence the cookie sheet).
Once cool, refrigerate, weighted, at least 2 days before eating (aging 2 days gives you a MUCH better pâté than aging 1 day; you can age for several days longer and it only improves).
Remove bacon and bay leaf before serving.
Serve with cornichons and crusty bread.
