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.
130,177 134.2/5 for 35 ratings
Last modified on: September 7th 2018
For 1 paté, you will need:
- 1
300 ml Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) - 2
30 ml dried morels - 3
300 ml veal - 4
300 ml pork loin - 5
357 ml chicken breast - 6
300 ml ham - 7
100 ml 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
8.4 ml fine (or table) salt - 18
1 ml pepper - 19
150 ml Foie gras (optional) - 20
1 beaten egg - 21 salt
- 22 pepper
How long does it take?
Time required for this recipe:
Keeping: Several days in the fridge protected with plastic film.
| Preparation | Resting | Cooking | Start to finish |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 hours 29 min. | 1 hour | 3 hours 20 min. | 6 hours 49 min. |
At what time?
- When will I finish if I start the recipe at a certain time?
When should I start for the recipe to be ready at a certain time?
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 10 min.
The day before
Prepare 300 ml Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) (unsweetened). Wrap in stretch plastic film and leave in the fridge.
Prepare 300 ml Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée) (unsweetened). Wrap in stretch plastic film and leave in the fridge.
Stage 2 - 30 min.
Rehydrate 30 ml dried morels.
Stage 3 - 20 min.
Cut 300 ml veal into strips about 1 or 2 cm ( ½ to 1 inch) thick.
Do the same with 357 ml chicken breast.
Chop 300 ml pork loin into large dice.
Do the same with 357 ml chicken breast.
Chop 300 ml pork loin into large dice.
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Chop 300 ml ham into large dice.
Stage 5 - 40 min.
Prepare the marinade:
Chop 100 ml 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 ml 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.
Stage 6 - 20 min.
Stage 7 - 2 min.
Pick the parsley leaves off the stalks and only keep the leaves.
Stage 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.
Stage 9 - 3 min.
Add 2 eggs, 8.4 ml fine (or table) salt and 1 ml 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:
Stage 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.
Stage 11 - 2 min.
Fold the pastry in half.
Stage 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.
Stage 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.
Stage 14 - 3 min.
You can also make layers of meat and foie gras if you like.
Stage 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).
Stage 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.
Stage 17 - 2 min.
Glaze around the top of the pastry case.
Stage 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.
Stage 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).
Stage 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.
Nutritional information
How much will it cost?
- For 1 paté : 35.37 €
And to drink?: An Arbois red wine, made with the Trousseau (Bastardo) grape variety.
Source
Home made.More recipes?
This recipe uses (among others) | Pork loin: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Rabbit terrine, Pâté de campagne, ... All |
 | Shortcrust pastry (pâte brisée): You can get more informations, or check-out other recipes which use it, for example: Gisèle's Pasties, Potimarron and Parmesan tart, French custard tart, Rata-tart, Deep leek and potato quiche, ... All |
| Chicken breast: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: Taos hotpot, Chicken nems, Sliced chicken with mushrooms and broccoli, Stuffed pumpkin gratin, Pan-fried chicken breast on mozzarella, ... All |
| Ham: You can check-out other recipes which use it, like for example: French toast "cordon bleu", Croque-monsieur, Potted meat (rillettes), Ham pasta bake, Ham à la Russe, ... All |
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Post your comment or question
Your 13 comments or questions 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.