Pic of Country pâté

Country pâté

Show ingredients

Pork & gammon

Country pâté

Side Serves 6 2h 20 min
At Riverford we've been making a version of this simple country pâté since day one. The beauty of a it is that nothing is cast in stone. Variations are endless; as well as changing the meat (diced chicken or game can be good), a few nuts or dried fruit can give it a bit of a lift. Serve at room temperature with a sprinkling of salt, crisp cornichons and some toasted country bread or baguette.

Ingredients

  • 100g onion, finely chopped
  • 25g garlic, finely chopped
  • knob of butter
  • 1 tsp quatre épices
  • pinch of thyme
  • splash of brandy
  • 2 tbsp flour
  • 200g streaky bacon
  • 400g minced pork
  • 200g minced bacon
  • 200g pig or chicken liver

Method

Prep time: 20 min
Cooking time: 2h

  • Step 1

    Preheat oven to 150°C/Gas 2. Soften the onion and garlic in the butter, herbs, brandy and flour.

  • Step 2

    Line a dish with foil (if you don't have a suitable dish, this lot will fit into a large Chinese takeaway foil). Line the foiled dish with slices of bacon, flattened and thinned with the back of a knife.

  • Step 3

    Mix together the onion, garlic and meat and fill the container, folding over the tops of the bacon slices to form a lid. Cover with kitchen foil and place in a roasting tray half filled with water.

  • Step 4

    Cook for about 2 hours, then press lightly - a 1kg bag of sugar wrapped in a plastic bag works well - for a couple of hours until cool.