Country Pate with Bacon Recipe
Ingredients
| Chicken livers | 1 pound, trimmed | |
| Orange juice | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Dried mushrooms | 1 Cup (16 tbs), finely chopped | |
| Dry sherry | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Garlic | 8 Clove (5gm), quartered | |
| Eggs | 3 | |
| 1/2 cup brandy or Cognac | ||
| Whipping cream | 1/4 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Salt | 1 Tablespoon | |
| 2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper | ||
| All spice | 1 Teaspoon | |
| Pork shoulder | 1 pound | |
| All purpose flour | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| Pistachio nuts | 1/2 Cup (16 tbs) | |
| 1 large black truffle, finely diced (optional) | ||
| Bacon | 1 pound, sliced | |
| Bay leaves or fresh parsley sprigs (garnish) | ||
Directions
Combine chicken livers and orange juice in medium bowl.
Mix mushrooms with Sherry in small bowl.
Let both mixtures marinate 30 minutes (stir mushrooms occasionally).
Combine garlic, eggs, brandy, cream, salt, pepper and allspice in another bowl and blend lightly.
Drain livers well.
Add to garlic mixture.
Add half to processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Pour into large mixing bowl.
Repeat with remaining liver mixture.
Stir in ground meats.
Sift flour over mixture and blend well.
Mix in nuts, truffle and drained mushrooms and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Overlap 4 slices of bacon to form cross in bottom of 10x4-inch round baking dish, allowing 1- to 2-inch overhang.
Fill in empty spaces with shorter bacon slices.
Pour in liver mixture to within 1 inch of top.
Tap dish lightly against counter to remove air bubbles.
Fold overhanging ends of bacon over liver mixture.
Cover dish with foil and set in shallow baking pan.
Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up sides of dish.
Bake until set, about 3 hours, adding more water to pan as necessary and removing foil during last 15 minutes to brown top.
Remove from oven and re-cover with foil.
Weight pate with heavy object (a similar size pan with foil-wrapped brick in center works well).
Refrigerate.
(Can be made ahead and refrigerated 7 to 10 days.) Serve in baking dish or immerse briefly in hot water and unmold onto serving platter.
Discard any remaining bacon fat.
Garnish with bay leaves or parsley.
Mix mushrooms with Sherry in small bowl.
Let both mixtures marinate 30 minutes (stir mushrooms occasionally).
Combine garlic, eggs, brandy, cream, salt, pepper and allspice in another bowl and blend lightly.
Drain livers well.
Add to garlic mixture.
Add half to processor or blender and mix until smooth.
Pour into large mixing bowl.
Repeat with remaining liver mixture.
Stir in ground meats.
Sift flour over mixture and blend well.
Mix in nuts, truffle and drained mushrooms and set aside.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Overlap 4 slices of bacon to form cross in bottom of 10x4-inch round baking dish, allowing 1- to 2-inch overhang.
Fill in empty spaces with shorter bacon slices.
Pour in liver mixture to within 1 inch of top.
Tap dish lightly against counter to remove air bubbles.
Fold overhanging ends of bacon over liver mixture.
Cover dish with foil and set in shallow baking pan.
Add enough boiling water to pan to come halfway up sides of dish.
Bake until set, about 3 hours, adding more water to pan as necessary and removing foil during last 15 minutes to brown top.
Remove from oven and re-cover with foil.
Weight pate with heavy object (a similar size pan with foil-wrapped brick in center works well).
Refrigerate.
(Can be made ahead and refrigerated 7 to 10 days.) Serve in baking dish or immerse briefly in hot water and unmold onto serving platter.
Discard any remaining bacon fat.
Garnish with bay leaves or parsley.
Chef
