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Pâté en croûte

Course: Appetizer, Starter

Equipment

  • 1 rectangular metal pâté en croûte mould measuring 12¼ by 3 inches (31 by 8 cm)
  • 1 Instant-read thermometer

Ingredients

For the gelée

  • 1 1/8 ounces 32 g gelatin sheets
  • 4¼ cups 1L chicken or vegetable broth
  • ¼ cup 60 ml ruby port

For the flaky pastry dough

  • 11 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon 160 g unsalted butter
  • 1 egg
  • 1 pinch sugar and 1 teaspoon salt
  • 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon 50 g water
  • 2½ cups 250 g all-purpose flour

For the filling

  • 12 ounces 350 g boneless and skinless chicken breasts
  • 10½ ounces 300 g boneless chicken thighs
  • 12 ounces 350 g pork belly, trimmed of fat
  • 12 ounces 350 g pork tenderloin
  • 1 ounce 28 g fleur de sel sea salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper about 15 turns of the pepper mill
  • 1 pinch quatre épices spice blend
  • 1/3 cup 80 ml white wine
  • 4¼ ounces 120 g pistachios
  • 1 tablespoon 14 g butter, softened, to grease the mould

Instructions

Two days before

    Make the flaky pastry dough

    • Melt the butter, let it cool, then pour it into a mixing bowl.
    • Add the remaining ingredients. Beat for 20 seconds, pour it out onto a work surface, and knead it with your hands just until a dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and place it in the refrigerator.

    Make the filling

    • Cut all the meat into 1 inch (3 cm) pieces.
    • Process the pork belly and chicken thighs through a meat grinder fitted with a grinding plate with large holes.
    • Combine the meat with the remaining filling ingredients, wrap the mixture in plastic wrap, and place it in the refrigerator.

    The day before

    • Grease the mould with the butter. Roll out the dough to a thickness of about 1⁄8 to ¼ in (4 to 5mm), then line the mould with the dough, going all the way up the sides.
    • Scrape the filling into the mould (do not fold the dough over the top).
    • Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C).
    • Bake the pâté for about 25 minutes, or until beautifully golden brown, then lower the oven temperature to 275°F (140°C) and bake until the centre reaches 149°F (65°C) on the instant-read thermometer.
    • Meanwhile, make the gelée. Melt the gelatin in the warm broth, then stir in the port.
    • Remove the pâté from the oven and fill it with the warm gélee.
    • Repeat this step four or five times in about 30-minute intervals.
    • Refrigerate the pâté and any remaining gelée overnight.

    The next day

    • Heat the remaining gelée and pour it over the top of the pâté.
    • Place the pâté back in the refrigerator until the gelée has set.
    • To unmould the pâté en croûte, gently warm the mould in the oven to loosen the pâté crust from the pan. Slice and serve.