Nearly every top restaurant has its own version of Pate Maison, or "House Specialty." Pate is a meat loaf with a difference. For one thing. Although both are made with ground and cooked meat, pate is served cold or at room temperature. More importantly, pate textures are more silky smooth and its flavors deeper, all as a result of the large amount of fat that goes into it. This process can take a few days to make, but the resulting sense of accomplishment and tremendous joy from eating it make the effort all worthwhile. This recipe serves 12 as a first course.
Instructions
1. Rinse the salt pork slices in cold water to remove some of the salt. Drain thoroughly. Line the terrine mold with the salt pork slices. Cut the calves liver into 1-inch pieces and the chicken livers in half.
2. Cook the diced bacon in the skillet until the fat is rendered. Saute the garlic and shallots with the bacon until tender and lightly browned. Add the liver pieces and all of the seasonings into the skillet, and cook until the pink color has disappeared from the livers.
3. Remove the liver mixture from the skillet and put into the large bowl. Set aside to cool, about 30 minutes. Put the eggs into the small bowl and whisk together, then add the Madeira wine to the eggs.
4. When the has cooled, put it into the food processor and blend until thoroughly pureed. Add the egg mixture into the livers, a little at a time. Remove the liver mixture from the processor bowl and pack it into the terrine mold lined with the salt pork slices. Place a few of the bay leaves on top of the terrine, end to end. Cover tightly with aluminum foil. Put into the refrigerator for 24 hours.
5. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 225 degrees. Place the terrine in the deep roasting pan, then fill the inside of the roasting pan with simmering hot water. Fill half way up the sides of the terrine baking dish. Carefully put the pan into the oven and bake until the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees on the thermometer.
6. Remove the pan carefully from the oven, and take out the terrine when it's cool enough to handle. Let it sit out on the counter for about three hours to come to room temperature. Then put the terrine, still covered, into the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. More time sitting in the cooler is better for enriching the flavor.
7. When ready to serve, either cut ?-inch slices right out of the terrine mold, or slice the terrine after unmolding it onto a platter. To accomplish the latter, you must dip the terrine in warm water for half a minute or so, then run a knife all along the interior sides of the terrine. Invert it on a platter. Once the pate has come out of the mold, cut it into ?-inch slices. Garnish the platter as you like, and serve immediately.
Tags: liver mixture, pork slices, salt pork, salt pork slices, terrine mold, -inch slices,