Pates and Terrines: Adventures In

LTH,

Decided to take my new Le Creuset Terrine out for a walk this weekend with Pate De Campagne from Charcuterie by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn. It's a fairly simple recipe, though grinding your own meat is an essential step, with inexpensive ingredients. My guess on total cost is about $10, with big rewards, both taste and serving portion wise, even from my weak first effort.

I completely forgot to take pictures of preparation, though, as I plan to make a number of pates and terrines*, I'll be sure to take preparation sequence pictures next time out. Some form of meat grinder, Kitchenaid, Cuisinart, old fashioned horn grinder or, if you are deft and quick, a couple of sharp chef's knives or cleavers, are essential as is an oven proof mold. Fancy Le Creuset terrines are absolutely not necessary, a $3 Pyrex loaf pan would work equally as well.

Pate De Champagne after resting 24-hours in refrigerator. (Terrine is just over 12-inches long)


Not bad for a first effort, though my wife thought the texture a bit coarse, it was pretty much what I was shooting for. Initially I thought the terrine might be oversalted, 2-tablespoons kosher salt to just 2.25-lbs of meat (2-lb pork, 4-oz chicken liver) seemed like quite a bit, though the end result was not salty in the least. If anything I thought the terrine underseasoned.

Pate De Champagne


Classic pate accompaniments


Next time out I plan on increasing the 'pressing time', I'd like the pate just a smidgen firmer, and increasing both fat content and spice level. I'll also add one, possibly two, of the suggested internal garnishes, diced ham/cooked mushrooms/rinsed brine-cured green peppercorns/duck confit, for a flavor and visual appeal boost.



Enjoy,
Gary

* I'm using pate and terrine interchangeably, though traditionally pate is the mixture, terrine the mold. If served out of the mold it's called a pate, served in the mold a terrine.

Gwiv,
Nice looking terrine and spread (down to the cornichon and Laguiole)! I gave terrine making a shot once - while it was not as hard as imagined, I ended up with far more than I enjoyed finishing. Your pics are inspiring, maybe I'll try it again soon.

I was under the impression that while the name 'terrine' came from the mold, pâté or pie - was pastry enclosed and Pâté de Campagne is really a misnomer.

Gary,

Nice looking terrine and a beautiful plate that warms my heart. I bought the Charcuterie book last month and I have yet to crack it open. I forsee a "Passover Pâté" in the near future.

Best,
Michael

That looks delicious! I far prefer a coarser ground pate.

Your pate de campagne is inspiring...coincidentally, I picked my copy of Charcuterie back up last night after leaving it sit for a couple weeks(post the big corned beef experiment). Started reading at pate de campagne and plowed through to the vegetable confits. I quite enjoyed exploring their chicken brine and corned beef recipes.

-can't wait to have enough friends over to warrant making 2 pounds of pate---in a lovely Le Creuset mold???(one can always wish)-(the s/o and I could definitely polish off a loaf, but I'm not certain that's entirely healthy).

errata:

Having finished Charcuterie I got a bug to skim through some more of Simca's Cuisine, a book that, unsurprisingly, offers many, many menus of pates and terrines.

Gary,

Your pâté de Champagne looks really beautiful and clearly must have been very delicious. I've never made such a dish, indeed, hadn't given it much thought, but now I really want to give it a try.

With regard to texture, I concur with Octarine that a coarse texture can be really great. I also love more finely ground pâtés (I really miss the smeerpâté of pork liver that is so common in Belgium) but a chunky pâté, served just as you show above, is really a delight.

Antonius

Antonius wrote:(I really miss the smeerpâté of pork liver that is so common in Belgium)

Antonious,

Head over to Myron & Phil's for some of their chopped (chicken) liver. You can put it on rye bread and call it schmear paté.

stevez wrote:

Antonius wrote:(I really miss the smeerpâté of pork liver that is so common in Belgium)

Antonious,

Head over to Myron & Phil's for some of their chopped (chicken) liver. You can put it on rye bread and call it schmear paté.

Steve,

Hmmm, sounds like a good idea. Could you elaborate on Myron & Phil's?
(P.m. me if you think it's taking the thread too far afield.)

A

Myron & Phil's chicken liver is tasty, but it's American Jewish restaurant chicken liver, beloved by old guys named Sid wearing large square black glasses and the expensively coiffed women named Phyllis who love them, and bears only minimal resemblance to European pates if you ask me. (For one thing... it's chicken!) Having made a number of pates over the years-- a smallish number, but a number, including quite a few batches of Silver Palate's chicken liver pate with Calvados*-- I can certainly recommend the making of them at home as relatively easy (assuming you have the equipment for grinding, though for a really smooth pate, all you need is a Cuisinart), and allowing for infinite experimentation and variation.

* For which I have always substituted applejack, figuring the difference between a $7 fifth and a much smaller bottle for $40 would not be discernable when it's mixed with liver. No one has ever complained, in fact this dish has usually been greeted with skepticism which, by the time it's finished, turns to requests for the recipe.

Mike G wrote:Myron & Phil's chicken liver is tasty, but it's American Jewish restaurant chicken liver, beloved by old guys named Sid wearing large square black glasses and the expensively coiffed women named Phyllis who love them, and bears only minimal resemblance to European pates if you ask me.

So, what's the problem?

Gary,

Beautiful meal. Just beautiful. I made this last month using duck confit/fat as an internal garnish. The recipe says it will keep up to 1 week, but mine ended up hanging around for almost 3 weeks and definitely improved with age (and I didn't get sick, ). What else have you tried from this book? The German Potato Salad (page 297) is the best version I've had of this classic.

Best,
Bill/SFNM

Today's Dining section of the Trib has a review of Charcuterie including mentions of the pate de campagne and prosciutto. When it rains it pours.

Bill/SFNM wrote:but mine ended up hanging around for almost 3 weeks and definitely improved with age (and I didn't get sick, ). What else have you tried from this book? The German Potato Salad (page 297) is the best version I've had of this classic.

Bill,

3-weeks, I think you best change your .sig line to Iron Stomach/SFNM.

I just read through the German Potato Salad recipe, looks terrific, then again I'm predisposed to any recipe that contains the word Lardons. I doing a bit of BBQ this weekend, think I'll make the GPS along with a batch of Danny G's garlic slaw. Thanks for the heads up on the GPS.

By the way, incredible looking Pizza Napoletana and, also, Italian Ring Bread Mega Sandwich You have, once again, raised the bar for the rest of us.

Enjoy,
Gary

I use the $3 Pyrex loaf pan with a family recipe for finely ground pork/chicken liver pate...works just fine. The recipe calls for lining the dish with thick-cut bacon, which makes me curious about the recipe you followed. What did you use to coat the terrine? I didn't see any bacon wrapped around your scrumptious pate.

Also...I bought frozen goose and duck livers from Paulina a few months ago, and I was wondering if it's advisable to mix 'em up in a recipe. I'm looking for a simple goose/duck pate, like the pork/chicken recipe I have. The few I've found are incredibly involved and require beaucoup incredients.

Does Charcuterie have many pate/terrine recipes? Smoked and aged sausages are probably out of my realm of capability--at least until I get my very own walk-in smoker--so I don't know if it's worth buying the book for one or two pate recipes.

I'm gonna go ahead and guess that the terrine that started it all was wrapped in plastic wrap as per the book's instructions.

A good 3rd of Charcuterie is indeed terrine and pate and confit recipes.

You bake the pate wrapped in plastic wrap? No way. Or is that the magical element in the Le Creuset terrine--it doesn't require the fat coating for the pate to slip out?

crrush wrote:You bake the pate wrapped in plastic wrap? No way. Or is that the magical element in the Le Creuset terrine--it doesn't require the fat coating for the pate to slip out?

You line the terrine mold(Le Creuset, whatever) w/ plastic wrap then fold the overhanging wrap atop the terrine. Charcuterie goes on to disparage bacon-wrapping(for most pate's) as antiquated and overwhelming.

Am I missing something? I hate to be dense, but doesn't the plastic wrap melt when you bake the whole shebang?

Although I kinda dig the bacon wrapping (may be antiquated, but it sho is tasty), I could definitely do without that step.

Assuming G Wiv followed the recipe to the letter: ...you "bake" (simmer) the plastic-wrapped pate nestled in it's terrine in the oven in an ad hoc bain marie(terrine placed in a high-sided roasting pan filled with hot tap water). For the pate de campagne: 300 oven...baked until interior of pate 150...if pork liver 160...if chicken liver ---"about an hour"

see: you made me get out my book

addendum: as you can see from the above pics and read in my corned beef hijinks(another thread)...Ruhlman/Polcyn's Charcuterie is a great...inspiring/informative...read. I think it's a must purchase if you have any interest at all in preservation techniques and enhancing flavors.

I received it for Christmas.

Crrush,

The plastic wrap is simply to ensure easy removal from the pan. You can also use parchment paper. Classically, you run a thin bladed knife around the edges of the pan, dip the bottom of the pan in a bain marie or over a burner for a few seconds, and then turn it over and give a little slam dunk onto the counter/cutting board. (We don't need none of zis stinkeeng plasteek!)

Can't say that I agree with the concept of not lining the pan with bacon or fatback. Agreed, nobody really eats that way every day, but last summer at Daniel in NYC, the squab and foie gras terrine we enjoyed was beautifully encased in fatback, as was the duck terrine we had at Brasserie Jo just last Friday.

If I'm going to the trouble of making a "classic", give me the real thing, not the "lite" version.

Years ago, I worked in the kitchen of Dallas' historic Hotel Adolphus, where Jean Banchet was consultant to our "French Room". One of Banchet's charcuterie tricks is to add a complimentary flavored stock/wine reduction, made from the bones and scraps which yielded the terrine's meat (cooled down over ice to a syrupy consistency) to the forcemeat before mixing and placing into the mold. Shrimp/scallop terrine=highly reduced shellfish/white wine glaze for example, or an equally heavily reduced red wine/duck glace for a terrine de canard. This is why Banchet's terrines always had that unforgettable flavor.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Crrush,

The plastic wrap is simply to ensure easy removal from the pan. You can also use parchment paper. Classically, you run a thin bladed knife around the edges of the pan, dip the bottom of the pan in a bain marie or over a burner for a few seconds, and then turn it over and give a little slam dunk onto the counter/cutting board. (We don't need none of zis stinkeeng plasteek!)

Can't say that I agree with the concept of not lining the pan with bacon or fatback. Agreed, nobody really eats that way every day, but last summer at Daniel in NYC, the squab and foie gras terrine we enjoyed was beautifully encased in fatback, as was the duck terrine we had at Brasserie Jo just last Friday.

If I'm going to the trouble of making a "classic", give me the real thing, not the "lite" version.

Years ago, I worked in the kitchen of Dallas' historic Hotel Adolphus, where Jean Banchet was consultant to our "French Room". One of Banchet's charcuterie tricks is to add a complimentary flavored stock/wine reduction, made from the bones and scraps which yielded the terrine's meat (cooled down over ice to a syrupy consistency) to the forcemeat before mixing and placing into the mold. Shrimp/scallop terrine=highly reduced shellfish/white wine glaze for example, or an equally heavily reduced red wine/duck glace for a terrine de canard. This is why Banchet's terrines always had that unforgettable flavor.

All cogent points I'm sure, but the original query pertained to Polcyn/Ruhlman/G Wiv's process...

...not Banchet's.

I'm not one to argue with pork fat...nor have I yet attempted the terrines in Charcuterie...just reporting the (book's) facts.

I did the pate fat wrap for my rabbit pate from my Belgian dinner. The only problem I see with it is that it's hard to find in stores, if you don't live near Paulina like me, but it worked perfectly fine and I don't think it significantly increased the fattiness, because it didn't render that much out to be soaked up by the meat, just a gentle coating.

Not sure why anyone should be nonplussed to see the thread travel onto other related techniques, that pretty much seems to be the point of this site to me, but anyway, thanks Evil R. for sharing Banchet's technique, I will keep that in mind for my own use one of these days.

Thanks Christopher, for pointing out to me the original query.

I simply mentioned what Banchet taught us back in the olden days

Thank you for correcting me

book learnin' ain't all there is...as you "pointed out."

Christopher Gordon wrote:Assuming G Wiv followed the recipe to the letter: ...you "bake" (simmer) the plastic-wrapped pate nestled in it's terrine in the oven in an ad hoc bain marie(terrine placed in a high-sided roasting pan filled with hot tap water). For the pate de campagne: 300 oven...baked until interior of pate 150...if pork liver 160...if chicken liver ---"about an hour"

Christopher,

Yep, 'xactly what I did.

I should also add Evil Ronnie called me on the phone to 'compliment' me on the terrine and, also, inquire where the heck the fatback was. In addition to 'gently' suggesting, as he has done in this thread, fatback is the way to go, and I'd tend to agree, but I typically make an unfamiliar recipe 'as is' the first time out, he suggested pistachios and/or cherries in season would make a nice add-in.

Evil's syrupy reduction sounds a wonderful idea, I think I'll employ that trick, though probably not the fatback (sorry Evil) on the terrine I make this weekend.

Enjoy,
Gary

Bill/SFNM wrote:The German Potato Salad (page 297) is the best version I've had of this classic.

Bill,

Can't get a much better recommendation in my book, so I made the German Potato Salad, and a batch of Danny G's slaw to bring to a friends house for a BBQ.

Don't have all the stages, for example I didn't take a picture of the onion/stock/vin/sugar simmering, but folks on the fence about making the dish or buying the book, which I highly recommend, should get a general idea.

Cooked potatoes cooling


Lardons with bacon grease


Mixing ingredients


Finished


Wonderful potato salad, thanks for the recommendation.

Enjoy,
Gary

Two expected dinner guests had to cancel at the last minute yesterday, leaving me with about 12 extra ounces of gorgeous Carolina wreckfish. No way was I letting this stuff go to waste, so it was time to make a terrine.

Carolina Wreckfish Terrine:


I served slices for brunch on toasts with basil and thinly sliced radishes. Guests raved. It was sweet, mellow and luscious.

On toasts with radishes and basil:



Here's a recipe:
- 12 ounces of Carolina wreckfish
- about a cup of heavy cream
- an egg white
- some minced chives
- some grated lemon peel
- salt and pepper

Process all of the above until smooth, then spoon into a buttered terrine (I used a cheap loaf pan). Bake at 325 degrees in a water bath for about 45 minutes. Cool a bit and invert the pan onto a wax paper lined plate.

From a few months ago: Terrine of foie gras and Fuji apple with apple pie spice and Myers rum





"A" grade livers sliced and then seasoned with a mixture of freshly ground allspice, cinnamon stick, coriander, white pepper, sea salt and clove, then sprinkled with rum. Foie was sauteed dry in a hot pan and the rendered fat strained through cheesecloth. Fuji apple slices seasoned the same way and sauteed in duck fat. Everything drizzled with more rum and then layered in the terrines with duck fat "glue" before being chilled and weighted down overnight. Sliced the next day and served with a frisee salad, duck cracklings and a duck maple caramel jus and brioche.

Crimeny!

beautiful