LE PÂTÉ DU DEJEUNER ROYAL
Inspired by a famous master charcutier's from the 1800's
According to Louis-François Dronne, a nineteenth-century master charcutier, King Louis XI had a smooth pâté served at every one of his déjeuners, which in his time meant the morning meal. History does not tell us whether that is true, but it is a lovely story. Dronne's original was made with pork liver and a great deal of fat. This version keeps his method, meat and fat minced finely with onion and herbs and bound with egg, but it has been modernised for a home kitchen. Pork does most of the work, with a small amount of chicken liver for a silky texture and depth of flavour. Spread it on good bread, and you can decide for yourself whether it was fit for a king.
Makes one 1 litre (1¾ pint) terrine, serves 8 to 10.
INGREDIENTS
• 15 g (½ oz) unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 2 shallots, finely chopped
• 250 g (9 oz) chicken livers
• 400 g (14 oz) skinless pork belly
• 200 g (7 oz) pork shoulder
• 150 g (5 oz) pork back fat
• 1 dried bay leaf, finely crumbled
• 1 small bunch flat-leaf parsley, chopped
• 18 g (⅔ oz) fine sea salt
• 3 g (1 tsp) freshly ground black pepper
• 2 g (1 level tsp) quatre épices
• 1 egg
• 20 g (¾ oz / 2 tbsp) plain flour
For the traditional lining (optional)
• 200 g (7 oz) pork back fat, thinly sliced
Mise en Place
Start the day before, because the meat needs to macerate overnight. You will need a 1 litre (1¾ pint) terrine with a lid, a mincer with a fine plate (or a food processor) and a probe thermometer. Put the mincer parts in the freezer for 30 minutes before you start, because cold equipment stops the fat from smearing. If you would like to line your terrine the traditional way, ask your butcher to slice some pork back fat thinly, about 2 mm thick. Thinly sliced fresh, unsmoked pork belly works well too.
Method
Melt the butter in a small pan and cook the onion and shallots gently until soft and translucent, without any colour. Leave them to cool completely.
Trim the chicken livers carefully, removing any sinew, white connective tissue and green patches, which will make the pâté bitter. Remove any sinew from the pork shoulder, then cut the pork belly, shoulder and back fat into pieces about the size of a walnut. Put everything in a large bowl with the cooled onion and shallots, the bay leaf and the parsley. Season with the salt, pepper and quatre épices and mix well. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight to macerate.
The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), or 130°C fan. Pass everything through the fine plate of the mincer. Add the egg and flour and work the mixture with your hands until it is completely bound and looks smooth and sticky. Fry a small spoonful in a pan and taste it. This is your last chance to adjust the seasoning, so take it.
Pack the mixture into the terrine, tapping it on the bench to remove any air pockets, and smooth the top.
If you are using the traditional lining, this is how Dronne did it. Line the terrine with the slices of back fat, letting them hang over the sides, and keep two or three slices aside. Pack in half the mixture, lay the reserved slices across the middle, then add the rest of the mixture. Fold the overhanging fat over the top so the pâté is completely wrapped. The fat bastes the pâté gently as it cooks, and the line through the middle looks lovely when you slice it.
Cover with the lid and cook for about 1 hour. Start checking with the probe after 45 minutes. The pâté is ready when the core reaches 78 to 85°C (172 to 185°F).
Leave it to rest, covered, at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before slicing, and serve it with good bread and cornichons.
Cooking notes
Keep it covered and unsliced in the fridge for up to 3 days. Freezing is not advised. To make your own quatre épices, mix 7 teaspoons of ground allspice with 1 teaspoon each of ground nutmeg, clove and cinnamon.