This Raymond Blanc’s Pâté de Campagne (Country Pâté) recipe is one of the easiest terrines to make at home, which makes it a great dish for every day or a dinner party. Make it your own with whatever meat you have leftover.
Prep time: 20 Mins
Cook time: 60 Mins
Effort: Medium
Yield: Serves 8
Image: Raymond Blanc
Ingredients
- 250g boned pork shoulder, cut into 3cm dice
- 250g boned belly of pork, cut into 3cm dice
- 250g smoked streaky bacon, cut 3cm dice
- 300g pig’s liver, cut into 3cm dice
- 1 medium organic or free-range egg
- 6 pinches salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
- 4 juniper berries, crushed
- 2 pinches five-spice powder
- ½ tsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 50ml white wine, boiled 30-40 seconds to evaporate the alcohol
- 2 tbsp Cognac
- 20g pistachios (or almonds or hazelnuts)
- 1 fresh bay leaf
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
Method
Step 1: Chopping the meats
- Pre-heat the oven to 160C.
- In a food processor, using the pulse button, chop the pork shoulder until you have a coarse mince texture. Using a spatula, transfer the meat from the food processor to a large mixing bowl.
- Proceed in exactly the same way with the belly of pork, the smoked streaky bacon and the liver, combining all the meats together in the bowl.
Step 2: Preparing the pâté
- Add the egg, salt, pepper, juniper berries, five-spice powder, chopped thyme, white wine, cognac and nuts to the bowl and vigorously mix everything together with a large wooden spoon.
Step 3: Filling the terrine
- Tip the mixture into a 23 x 9 x 7.5cm terrine mould and, with the edge of a spoon, press and pack the meat down into the mould.
- Tap the terrine a couple of times on the work surface to ensure that there are no air pockets and that the meat is compact.
- Press the bay leaf and thyme sprigs onto the top of the mixture.
Step 4: Cooking the pâté
- Cover loosely with a piece of buttered greaseproof paper, then place the terrine in a roasting tin and slide it onto the oven shelf.
- Pour boiling water into the roasting tin until it reaches two-thirds of the way up the side of the terrine mould.
- Cook for 1 hour. The top of the pate should be slightly rounded. The inside should be 65-70C; if you have a temperature probe, check this.
- Remove the terrine from the oven leave to cool at room temperature for 2 hours, then cover with cling film. Refrigerate for two days so the flavours mature.
- To serve, dip a knife blade in hot water and slide it against the sides of the terrine to loosen the pâté. Turn the terrine upside down on a tray and tap the base to free it from its mould.
- Carve generous slices onto a plate.
