Paté De Campagne Recipe

Prep and flavor base

Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Finely chop the onion and gently sweat it with 1 tablespoon neutral oil or a small pat of butter in a sauté pan over medium-low heat until translucent and soft, about 6–8 minutes; do not brown. Add the minced garlic for the final 30 seconds and remove from heat to cool.

Toast and deglaze

In the same pan, add the white wine and brandy to deglaze, scraping up any bits; simmer 1–2 minutes to reduce slightly. Remove bay leaves and let the liquid cool to lukewarm.

Combine meats and season

In a large bowl combine the coarsely ground pork shoulder, diced pork back fat, and ground pork liver. Add the cooled onion/garlic mixture and the reduced wine/brandy. Add the egg, cream, chopped thyme and sage, salt, pepper, allspice, and the bay leaves (if you prefer, crumble bay leaves finely or remove before baking). Mix thoroughly with clean hands or a sturdy spoon until the mixture is cohesive but still slightly coarse — do not purée to a paste; the pâté should remain rustic.

Taste and adjust

Take a small patty (about 1 tablespoon) and pan-fry quickly until cooked through; taste for seasoning and adjust salt, pepper, or herbs as needed.

Pack into terrine

Butter a 900 g (approx. 1 L) terrine mold or loaf tin and line with a strip of parchment if desired. Pack the meat mixture firmly into the mold, pressing down to eliminate large air pockets. Level the top, remove bay leaves if whole, and smooth.

Add fat seal

If you have extra melted pork fat or clarified butter, pour a thin layer (about 10–20 ml) over the top to help seal. Otherwise simply cover tightly with foil.

Bake in a water bath

Place the terrine in a roasting pan and pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the terrine. Cover the terrine with foil and bake at 160°C (320°F) for 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer into the center reads 68–70°C (155–158°F). If the top is drying, baste with a little warmed stock halfway through.

Press and cool

Remove terrine from water bath and carefully drain any liquid. Place a small board or foil-wrapped weight on top of the pâté to compress slightly and encourage a compact texture. Allow to cool to room temperature, then refrigerate with the weight still on for at least 8 hours or overnight. This also lets flavors meld.

Unmold

Before serving, run a small knife around the edge, invert the terrine onto a board or plate, and remove parchment. If a top fat layer formed, keep it — it helps preserve and present the pâté.

While the pâté is baking or cooling, make the compôte. Place gooseberries, sugar, lemon juice, grated ginger (if using), and water in a medium saucepan over medium heat.

Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Cook until the gooseberries have softened and begun to break down but retain some texture, about 10–12 minutes for fresh berries (slightly longer for frozen). If the mixture looks dry, add a splash more water.

Once the fruit is softened, turn the heat to low and stir in the butter until glossy. Taste and adjust sweetness or acidity with extra sugar or lemon juice as desired. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature; compôte will thicken as it cools.

Remove pâté from fridge at least 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off for better flavor and easier slicing.

Slice the pâté into 1–1.5 cm thick slices. Serve with a spoonful of gooseberry compôte, a scattering of coarse sea salt, cornichons or pickled onions, and slices of crusty bread spread with butter if desired.

Leftovers: keep refrigerated, covered, up to 5 days. A fat seal will extend life. For longer storage, freeze slices wrapped tightly for up to 2 months.