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Pâté en croûte
Pork and veal pie in pastry
Pâté en croûte: Lyon-style pork and veal terrine baked in a golden pastry crust, sliced cold
FrenchLyon's charcuteries display pâté en croûte like jewellery: a tall loaf of crisp, golden pastry wrapped around a coarse terrine of pork and veal. A slice wrapped in paper is a picnic and lunchbox luxury, and the whole loaf is a Sunday project eaten over several days. The common mistake is undercooking it for fear of drying it out: as it is made with minced pork, the centre must reach 71 °C, so use a probe thermometer. The classic farce has a splash of cognac; it's optional here, and apple juice or extra stock is the alcohol-free swap. Chef's tip: chill the filled, unbaked loaf for 30 minutes before baking so the pastry keeps its shape and pattern.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 12
Ingredients
For the pastry
- 1 ⅛ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 7 oz cold butterdiced
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 eggs1 for the dough, 1 beaten for glazing
- ½ cup cold water
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb pork shouldercoarsely minced
- 9 oz pork bellyskinless, coarsely minced
- 9 oz veal or chicken thighdiced 1 cm
- 2 shallotsfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 3 tbsp fresh parsleychopped
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 egg
- 2 tbsp cognac or brandy (optional)contains alcohol; use apple juice instead
- 1 ⅜ oz shelled pistachios (optional)
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Rub 7 oz cold butter into 1 ⅛ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt until it looks like breadcrumbs. Beat 1 eggs with ½ cup cold water, add and bring together into a firm dough. Wrap and chill for 1 hour.
60 minStep 2: In a large bowl, mix 1 ⅛ lb pork shoulder, 9 oz pork belly, 9 oz veal or chicken thigh, 2 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 3 tbsp fresh parsley, 1 tsp dried thyme, ½ tsp quatre-épices or ground allspice, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 egg, 2 tbsp cognac or brandy and 1 ⅜ oz shelled pistachios. Fry a teaspoon of the mixture until cooked, taste and adjust the seasoning.
Step 3: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Line a 1 kg loaf tin (or pâté mould) with baking paper. Roll two-thirds of the pastry to 4 mm thick and line the tin, leaving 2 cm hanging over the edges.
Step 4: Pack in the filling, pressing out air pockets and doming it slightly. Roll out the rest of the pastry for a lid, brush the edges with 1 eggs, lay it on and crimp to seal. Cut two 1 cm holes in the top and put a rolled foil chimney in each. Chill for 30 minutes.
30 minStep 5: Brush the lid with the rest of the beaten egg. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 60–75 minutes more, until the pastry is deep golden and a thermometer pushed into the centre reads 160°F (165°F if you used chicken thigh instead of veal). Cover loosely with foil if it browns too fast.
90 minStep 6: Cool in the tin for 1 hour, then lift out and refrigerate overnight before slicing. It keeps 4 days in the fridge; pack slices with an ice pack.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 22 g
- Carbs
- 24 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pâté en croûte take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 60 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 12 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of plain flour?
- Self-raising flour, same amount (then leave out the baking powder).
- What can I use instead of cold butter?
- The same weight of ghee or coconut oil (for frying and most baking).
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