Paté en croute (terrine in a pie crust)
The French classic "Paté en croute" is a terrine of different meats layered and baked in a pie crust. There are many recipes which vary the kind of meat and the seasonings. This is my version with pork, veal and chicken, which is not too difficult, though it does entail quite a lot of work.
Last modified on: October 22th 2026
For 1 paté, you will need:
- 1
300 g shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) - 2
30 g dried morels - 3
300 g veal - 4
300 g pork loin - 5
300 g chicken breast - 6
300 g ham - 7
100 g onion - 8
1 garlic clove - 9
1 bayleaf - 10
Thyme - 11
50 ml Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac) - 12
50 ml Port - 13
1 shallot - 14
2 tablespoons olive oil - 15
50 ml cream - 16
2 eggs - 17
6 g fine (or table) salt - 18
1 g pepper - 19
150 g Foie gras (optional) - 20
1 beaten egg - 21 Salt
- 22 Pepper
- Total weight: 1,955 grams
Times for this recipe
Preparation
2 hours 30 min.
Resting
1 hour
Cooking
3 hours 20 min.
All in all
6 hours 50 min.
When should you start or finish this recipe?
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Step by step recipe
Step 1 - ⌛ 10 min.
The day before
Prepare 300 g shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) (unsweetened). Wrap in stretch plastic film and leave in the fridge.
Prepare 300 g shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) (unsweetened). Wrap in stretch plastic film and leave in the fridge.
Step 2 - ⌛ 30 min.
Rehydrate 30 g dried morels.
Step 3 - ⌛ 20 min.
Cut 300 g veal into strips about 1 or 2 cm ( ½ to 1 inch) thick.
Do the same with 300 g chicken breast.
Chop 300 g pork loin into large dice.
Do the same with 300 g chicken breast.
Chop 300 g pork loin into large dice.
Step 4 - ⌛ 3 min.
Chop 300 g ham into large dice.
Step 5 - ⌛ 40 min.
Prepare the marinade:
Chop 100 g onion and 1 garlic clove.
Put the pieces of chicken, veal, ham and pork loin into a large bowl.
Sprinkle them with 50 ml Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac) and 50 ml Port, add the chopped garlic and onion, 1 bayleaf and Thyme. Salt and pepper lightly and mix well.
Cover with plastic film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Chop 100 g onion and 1 garlic clove.
Put the pieces of chicken, veal, ham and pork loin into a large bowl.
Sprinkle them with 50 ml Brandy (Cognac or Armagnac) and 50 ml Port, add the chopped garlic and onion, 1 bayleaf and Thyme. Salt and pepper lightly and mix well.
Cover with plastic film and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
Step 6 - ⌛ 20 min.
Step 7 - ⌛ 2 min.
Pick the parsley leaves off the stalks and only keep the leaves.
Step 8 - ⌛ 10 min.
Put through the mincer (coarse setting) the pork loin, ham, parsley, onions/garlic and the liquid from the marinade as well as the mushrooms and cream.
You should now only have the chicken and veal left to deal with.
You should now only have the chicken and veal left to deal with.
Step 9 - ⌛ 3 min.
Add 2 eggs, 6 g fine (or table) salt and 1 g pepper to the minced mixture.
These proportions are correct if you are using 300 g of pork loin (the ham is already salted), otherwise use this small calculator:
These proportions are correct if you are using 300 g of pork loin (the ham is already salted), otherwise use this small calculator:
Step 10 - ⌛ 5 min.
Roll out the shrotcrust pastry into a large rectangle and sit your paté mould (a loaf tin works well) on top of it. Cut a triangle of pastry out of each corner so that it will fit neatly in the mould.
Step 11 - ⌛ 2 min.
Fold the pastry in half.
Step 12 - ⌛ 5 min.
Then unfold it into the mould, leaving about 1 cm overlapping all round. Fit it to the inside of the mould, using scissors to snip it if necessary, until you have an even pastry case.
Spread a first layer of minced mixture in the bottom.
Spread a first layer of minced mixture in the bottom.
Step 13 - ⌛ 3 min.
Salt and pepper the strips of chicken and veal, then spread these in layers on top of the minced mixture.
You can also weigh the veal and chicken and salt them all at once in a bowl (use the calculator again to know what weight of salt and pepper to use), then spread them in layers after seasoning.
You can also weigh the veal and chicken and salt them all at once in a bowl (use the calculator again to know what weight of salt and pepper to use), then spread them in layers after seasoning.
Step 14 - ⌛ 3 min.
You can also make layers of meat and foie gras if you like.
Step 15 - ⌛ 3 min.
Add layers of meats like this, adding salt and pepper each time, alternating with layers of the minced mixture. Finish with a layer of the minced mixture.
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F).
Step 16 - ⌛ 5 min.
Roll out the remaining pastry to make a lid.
Make a hole in the centre (the chimney) to allow steam to escape during cooking.
You can cut decorations out of left-over pastry if you like.
Make a hole in the centre (the chimney) to allow steam to escape during cooking.
You can cut decorations out of left-over pastry if you like.
Step 17 - ⌛ 2 min.
Glaze around the top of the pastry case.
Step 18 - ⌛ 3 min.
Place the lid on the pie and press down around the edge to seal it.
Glaze all over the top with beaten egg, stick on any pastry decorations and glaze them too.
Glaze all over the top with beaten egg, stick on any pastry decorations and glaze them too.
Step 19 - ⌛ 3 hours
Bake in the oven for 3 hours. This long cooking allows the paté to cook the middle without burning the crust.
The paté will shrink as it cools, leaving a space between the lid and the top of the meat filling. If you wish, you can fill this space with jelly by pouring it in through the chimney hole (though personally, I don't see that this adds anything).
The paté will shrink as it cools, leaving a space between the lid and the top of the meat filling. If you wish, you can fill this space with jelly by pouring it in through the chimney hole (though personally, I don't see that this adds anything).
Step 20 - ⌛ 1 hour
Leave to cool, then leave in the fridge, ideally for 3 or 4 days, to allow the flavours to develop fully.
Cut into slices and serve with mustard or mayonnaise, and gherkins in vinegar.
Cut into slices and serve with mustard or mayonnaise, and gherkins in vinegar.
Remarks
You can vary this recipe a thousand ways: use different meats, vary their proportions, the marinade, with or without mushrooms chopped or whole, foie gras, etc. Use your imagination, but keep to the basic idea: alternate layers of minced meat and morsels in a pastry crust.
It is important not to make the pastry crust too thick, unlike the very stodgy versions available commercially with their 1 cm or more of pastry.
It is important not to make the pastry crust too thick, unlike the very stodgy versions available commercially with their 1 cm or more of pastry.
And to drink?
An Arbois red wine, made with the Trousseau (Bastardo) grape variety.
Keeping: Several days in the fridge protected with plastic film.
Source: Homemade.
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Nutritional information
| Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats | Calories | Energy | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Per 100 g | 14 g RDI=21 % | 8 g RDI=3 % | 18 g RDI=25 % | 255 kcal RDI=13 % | 1,066 kJ RDI=13 % |
| Whole recipe | 263 g RDI=405 % | 149 g RDI=56 % | 354 g RDI=485 % | 4,966 kcal RDI=248 % | 20,793 kJ RDI=248 % |
How much will it cost?
For 1 paté
30.25 €
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée)
You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example:
Chicken breast
Like these other recipes:
Veal
Like these other recipes:
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The 13 comments already posted on this recipe
I am making it with turkey in lieu of veal. It's a fantastic recipe. Thanks
1) As you plan it, run a knife around the edges, then upside down the baking dish to get the terrine.
2) Yes, it can be frozen
3) you're welcome !
Yes probably, I think you should cook them before.
2) It's quite the same texture, but better in taste.