This is a coarse pate, hearty picnic fare, best served in slabs with crusty bread, cornichons, and coarse mustard, and washed down with young, rustic wine.
Yield
14 Servings
Preparation time
2 hours
Ingredients
8 ozuncured bacon (See Notes)
24 ozPork Shoulder
8 ozuncured bacon.
8 ozleaf lard
3 ozHam
6 TButter (Unsalted)
4 ozDry White Wine
2 TQuatre-epices (see recipe)
3 ozBrandy
8 ozonions (chopped)
2 TFlour
1egg (beaten)
Instructions
Grind the shoulder, lard, ham, and half of the bacon together into a forcemeat.
Mix in the spices and the brandy and let the mixture marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
Preheat the oven to 340.
Saute the onions until golden. Add the flour and mix well.
Remove from the heat and stir in the beaten egg.
Combine the egg-onion mixture well with the meat mixture.
Line a terrine or a loaf pan with the other half of the bacon. Leave some hanging over the edges and reserve some for a decorative top.
Lightly pack the meat-egg mixture into the bacon-lined pan.
Lay the reserved bacon strips along the top and weave the overhanging bacon into it to make an attractive pattern.
Place the covered terrine in a larger pan of hot water coming about halfway up the sides of the terrine. Bake for 2-3 hours, until a skewer comes out clean and the juices run clear. The pate should be swimming in fat.
Uncover the terrine for a few minutes to crisp the top bacon.
Drain off the melted fat and cool under a weight (this makes it easier to slice).
Serve cold.
Notes
The French recipes call for pork belly or uncured bacon. You can use hickory or applewood-smoked American bacon if you are not committed to French authenticity.