Oven Temperature: 125°C
Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
1/2 dl oil
250g diced lean pork
50g bacon fat
100g chopped onion
pinch powdered thyme
1 bayleaf
1 clove crushed garlic
500g chicken livers, hearts and kidneys, the gall removed
1 1/2 dl double cream
1/4 dl brandy
250g lean bacon with rind and removed, or salt pork fat
seasoning of salt and pepper
Method:
1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and quickly fry the lean pork and bacon fat. Add the chopped onion, thyme, bay leaf and crushed garlic.
2. Add the chicken livers, hearts and kidneys and continue to fry very quickly until they are sealed; on no account should the livers become cooked through. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Allow to cool, then pass through a fine mincer several times or finely chop in a bowl chopper.
4. Add the cream and brandy and correct the seasoning.
5. Line a mould with the lean beacon allowing for overlapping once the mould has been filled with the mixture.
6. Fill the lined mould with mixture, then fold over bacon slices.
7. Place the mould in a bain-marie; cover with either grease-proof paper or a lid and cook in oven.
8. When cooked remove mould from the bain-marie. Remove the lid or grease-proof paper. Place a flat dish on top of the pate together with a weight to push the pate down. Allow the pate to become cold so that the fat sets, preferably for about eight hours in a refrigerator.
Notes:
1. To obtain a very fine and smooth pate pass through a sieve or a food processor.
2. To judge when cooked the juice and fat should be clear and free of all traces of blood.
Service:
Serve slices garnished with lettuce, tomato and slices of cucumber. Hot toast is also served as an accompaniment.
Assessment of the completed dish:
1. The texture should be fine and smooth.
2. It should not crumble when portioned.
3. It should be moist with a blend of flavors.
Possible Problem: Pate is bitter in flavor;
Cause & Solution:
– too high a proportion of livers; care must be taken during preparation to measure the ingredients exactly as once cooked this cannot be rectified.
– livers not properly cleaned of gall stains; care must be taken over this aspect during preparation as once cooked this cannot be rectified.
Possible Problem: Pate is dry and crumbles when cooked;
Cause & Solution:
– insufficient fat used; care must be taken during preparation as once cooked this cannot be rectified.
– mixture us to coarse; care must be taken during preparation to mince the ingredients finely as once cooked this cannot be rectified.
– pate is overcooked; this cannot be rectified.
– not enough cream used in the pate; care must be taken during preparation to measure the ingredients exactly as once cooked this cannot be rectified.