The pie

An old recipe dating back to the Middle Ages, pâté en croute is a rich dish that we have not been able to appreciate in the kitchen. Today, it is making a comeback among chefs looking for traditional dishes. In Canada, however, it is all the rage. Let's see more about its peculiarities and how to cook it.

History of the recipe

The pâté en croute is a charcuterie which consists of a shortcrust pastry or a puff pastry in addition to a charcuterie pastry or cooked pâté. Served as a cold starter, it has jelly on top and can be cooked in the terrine.

In the Middle Ages, pâté en croute and terrine were the basis of lordly cuisine. These are two preparations that allow meat to be preserved. The crust was originally inedible. However, it became so over time.

Ingredients and preparation

To prepare a pie recipe, you will need:

Ingredients :

- Elements for the dough:

You have to create a shortcrust pastry, but you can always buy a ready-made pastry. In any case, we prefer a block or brick dough that can be easily spread in the baking dish. To prepare it, you will need:

500 g of flour;

250 g softened butter;

Salt ;

A glass of water ;

An egg.

- Elements for stuffing

To stuff the pie, you will need:

- 500 g chopped chicken/rabbit/duck breast;

- 200 g sausage meat;

- 200 g of fresh breast or white ham;

- 50 g of fresh chicken liver;

- Salt pepper ;

- Nutmeg;

- An onion and two shallots;

- 200 g of mushrooms;

- A clove of garlic ;

- Thyme, parsley and bay leaf;

- 4 tablespoons of armagnac/port/cognac;

- A handful of hazelnuts or pistachios;

- Two eggs ;

- A teaspoon of powdered sugar;

- Two sachets of powdered jelly and a little port;

Ingredients for gilding

A tablespoon of milk or an egg yolk.

Preparation

Start now by preparing the shortcrust pastry by mixing the softened butter, salt and flour. Sand and add water. Be careful not to have a dough that is too wet. Cover and keep aside.

Slice your shallots and onions before browning them in the butter without browning them. Halfway through cooking, add the chicken liver and stir for 5 minutes. Reserve off the heat.

Then prepare the stuffing. To do this, mix the minced meats and add the finely chopped ham as well as the herbs and shallots. Season with salt and pepper before adding the sugar and spices. We mix everything by hand in order to have a homogeneous whole. Add the alcohol and the mushrooms (to sweat if they are fresh). Continue mixing.

It is essential to choose the right dish to put the dough on. If you don't have a removable dish, line the one you have with parchment baking paper. On the other hand, if the dish comes apart, you will only have to grease it and flour it.

Keep a third of the dough to make the cover of your pâté. For a lined dish, all you have to do is spread the dough on this sheet. Flour the dough to prevent it from sticking to the paper. Measure the dish and add the dimensions of the edge, overhanging a little. Thanks to this excess, you hermetically bring the dough together in the dish and the top.

You should avoid rolling out the dough thinly to prevent it from sticking, as it risks puncturing while cooking.

Put the stuffing in place. To do this, start by placing a first layer on the bottom of the dough. Spread the pistachios and hazelnuts. Pack out the air bubbles and spread the cooked liver on the first layer. Add the stuffing again and repeat the operation with the hazelnuts and pistachios until the top of the dough.

When the cover is in place, you can make your chimneys. Create two or three holes and gently remove the dough. Make a bead with the rest of the dough to accommodate the chimneys made with a cookie cutter. Add the decoration of the pastry and spread the milk or egg for the glaze. Place in the oven at 220°C for an hour and a half. Check the temperature at the end of cooking. It should be 72°C. Leave to cool for a quarter of an hour and pour the jelly through the chimneys until it is full. Using jelly is not obligatory, but it helps you keep the pâté homogeneous.

If you need other Canadian ingredients to perfect your Canadian recipe, do not hesitate to go to our page.