The Princely Pâté

In the realm of pâtés, a man's maison is his castle. The very phrase pâté maison on a restaurant bill of fare is the chef's way of serving notice that while his fillet of sole à la Richelieu would undoubtedly have titillated the sardonic cardinal himself and that if Nellie Melba were still around, she would be the first to applaud his peach Melba, his pâté maison is his individual pursuit of perfection. That the chef used his freshest liver, his lightest veal, his firmest shallots and his mellowest cognac must be taken for granted. But the choicest ingredient in any fresh pâté--as in so many dishes--is the pâté maker's imagination; he'll jump at the opportunity to substitute pheasant for duck, eel for shrimp or rum for brandy.

One of the principal delights of pâté is the almost infinite number of guises it can assume. pâtés may be as uncomplicated as a spoon of foie gras on a lettuce leaf or as elaborate as a loaf pâté with truffles, studded with tongue and ham. Many pâtés take an extravagant amount of time, but we know of no other achievement that leaves chefs--amateur and professional--with such a sense of accomplishment.

Normally, one thinks of this beau ideal of a dish as the first leg of a dinner celebration. As a menu starter, a platter of cold sliced pâté is as prestigious as caviar and, in a way, more unforgettable, because it bears one's own culinary signature--rather than a female sturgeon's. But it also may fill a vast net of other uses. Out-of-town guests arriving after a long swing on the turnpike or your own crowd piling in after a football game, hungry and facing the gap between their arrival and the dinner gong, can always be beautifully placated with a slice or two of homemade pâté on buttered black bread. At any cocktail party, a sectional hors d'oeuvre tray filled with delicacies from bottles, jars or packages may be impressive; but if the host provides his own pâté, this personal resource infuses new life into what might be an otherwise routine drinking session. Pâtés are perfect for noontime enjoyment. Garnished with water cress, sliced tomatoes and a mound of mushroom salad, and served with chunks of crisp French flutes or hard rolls and butter, they need only a bottle of chilled white wine for complete midday pleasure. Pâtés are also perfect to take as gifts. For supper parties at midnight or later, a cold pâté will invariably have guests besieging you for the recipe.

The perfect pâté is literally and figuratively the fat of the land. Fresh pork, pork fat, salt pork and bacon are front and center in the pâté line-up. The art is in combining these viands with other meats, as well as with poultry or seafood, so that the finished dish will be perfection without the slightest hint of greasiness. A good pâté should leave with you what the French call quintessence d'arôme et de saveur.

To achieve a melt-in-your-mouth smoothness, the pâté meat is ground not merely once but three times, using the finest blade of the meat grinder, or is pounded in a mortar to the smoothest possible paste. Any good butcher will grind meat to your specifications; and, if you've ordered a duck to be boned for a pâté, he'll be able to do the job competently and quickly. Some pâtés are a combination of ground meat and strips of solid meat, so that the cold pâté, when sliced, reveals a marquetry of ground and whole meat. Although pâtés may be earthily seasoned with onions, shallots, garlic, brandy and wine, discretion in their application is the sage approach. Pepper should be apparent but not blatant. If you're experimenting with a new pâté mixture and you're not sure of the seasonings, you can check the final result beforehand by removing a tablespoon of the raw ground mixture and dropping it into a shallow pan of boiling water. Let it poach for a few minutes; chill it, taste it and make necessary corrections.

If you're preparing the kind of pâté that's baked in the oven, it will usually swell in the center not unlike a meat loaf (that's where the comparison ends). To form it into a compact, symmetrical loaf, and to make it as easy as possible to slice, the loaf usually, though not always, is weighted down while it's cooling in the refrigerator. To do this, simply place a layer of aluminum foil directly on the pâté and over the foil place a heavy weight; one or two large cans of food do the job nicely. When removing a cold loaf pâté from the pan, first run a knife along the inside of the pan. To ease the loaf out, it may be necessary to insert a dull knife or a spatula on one side of the pan. When the pâté is removed, scrape away all excess fat or meat gelatin. For serving, place the pâté bottom side up on a platter or a cutting board; slice with a razor-sharp knife, dipping it into hot water, if necessary, so that it slices easily and cleanly. If a baked pâté is to be stored for any length of time, pour melted lard or shortening over it, covering sides and top. As the shortening chills in the refrigerator, it will become firm and keep the pâté cozily sealed against other aromas of the refrigerator.

Commercial pâté makers over the years have built up their own undisciplined semantics, and these should be clarified--especially for men who buy ready-made pâtés for their table. Among fresh pâtés, the best known is the one baked in loaf form, called pâté maison. It may also be called pâté en terrine (the pottery dish in which it's baked) or terrine du chef. There is also the pâté en croÛte, enclosed in a rich but firm pastry crust and baked in a special mold. It's a showoff job, and the crust is fine if it's eaten the day after it's baked. But beyond that, bid freshness adieu. If you're shopping for canned pâtés or pâtés in jars, the maze of words can become quite wild at times. The following miniglossary should help:

Pâté: a seasoned ground mixture of meat, poultry, fish or shellfish; may be any spread, from a pâté of smoked brook trout to a pâté of grouse.

Pâté de foie: a pâté of liver; to kind of liver, scan the fine print on the list of ingredients.

Pâté de foie d'oie: a mixture of at least 50 percent goose liver and 50 percent other meats and seasonings.

Pâté de foie gras: also called bloc, mousse, purèe or roulade de foie gras; a mixture of at least 75 percent goose liver and 25 percent other meats and seasonings, sometimes including truffles.

Foie gras: the cooked seasoned oversize liver of a force-fed goose; since it's not ground, technically it's not a pâté, but its rich smoothness makes it the apogee of grand living; it usually contains truffles: if it doesn't, it may be called foie gras naturel.

Liver appears in so many pâté recipes because of its sumptuously rich flavor; pâté partisans all understand why philosophers such as Plato considered it the home of the soul itself. Over the centuries, not only philosophers but pun men have soared to various heights on the subject of liver. The best-known pun was William James' favorite: "Is life worth living? It depends on the liver."

Your pâté should be ready to be served with the first sip of champagne. The champagne should be brut but not so brutishly dry that the rich savor of the grapes seems to have vanished. Any of the following recipes--pun intended--should make you the life of the pâté.

[recipe_title]Foie Gras and Grapes in Aspic[/recipe_title]

(Serves six)

[recipe]6 ozs. foie gras or pâté de foie gras[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 cups cold clear consommé or chicken broth[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon plain gelatin[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup madeira or amontillado[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon cognac[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup seedless grapes[/recipe]

Softern gelatin in 1/4 cup cold consommé. Bring balance of consommé to a boil; remove from fire and stir in softened gelatin until dissolved. Add madeira and cognac. Pour 1/2 in. consommé into 6 individual aspic molds or glass custard cups. Place in refrigerator until jelled. Place a slice of foie gras in each mold; divide grapes among the 6 molds and pour balance of consommé over grapes. Chill in refrigerator until jelled. When ready to serve, dip each mold into hot water for a few seconds. Unmold each portion onto a leaf or two of Boston lettuce.

[recipe_title]Playboy Pâté With Ham and Tongue[/recipe_title]

(Serves 10 to 12)

[recipe]1-1/2 lbs. boneless pork loin[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. boneless veal shoulder[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. fresh pork fat (not salt pork or fat back)[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup onion, minced extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon garlic, minced extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 oz bourbon[/recipe]

[recipe]7/8-oz. can truffles, chopped extremely fine[/recipe]

[recipe]3 eggs, slightly beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon flour[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon powdered sage[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon ground coriander[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. sliced bacon[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. cooked smoked or corned tongue, in one piece[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. ham steak, 1/2 in. thick[recipe]

Put pork loin, veal and pork fat through meat grinder three times, using finest blade. Sauté onion and garlic in butter just until onion is yellow, not brown. Combine bread crumbs, wine and bourbon, mixing well. In large mixing bowl, combine ground meats, onion, bread crumbs, truffles, eggs, flour, salt, pepper, sage and coriander; mix very well. Preheat oven at 375°. Line bottom and sides of 2-quart loaf pan with bacon strips placed lengthwise in pan (there should be no space between strips). Cut (concluded on page 189) Princely Pâté (continued from page 164) tongue and ham into 1/2-in.-thick strips. Spread a third of the ground meat in pan. Add half the tongue and ham, placed lengthwise in rows. Spread another third of ground meat in pan. Add balance of tongue and ham. Top with balance of ground meat. If any strips of bacon are left, place them on top of pâté. Cover pan with double thickness of aluminum foil. Place loaf pan in larger pan containing 1-1/2 to 2 ins. very hot water. Bake 2-1/2 hours. Let pâté cool to room temperature. Weight pâté and refrigerate overnight. Before serving, scrape away all excess fat, but leave bacon strips.

[recipe_title]Smoked-Eel pâté[/recipe_title]

(Serves six to eight)

[recipe]1 lb. thick smoked eel[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup heavy sweet cream[/recipe]

[recipe]l/2 cup mayonnaise[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small onion[/recipe]

[recipe]1 large clove garlic[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon lemon juice Ground white pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 hard-boiled egg, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon very finely minced parsley[/recipe]

With a boning knife, remove skin and bones from eel. Cut eel meat into 1/2-in.-thick chunks. Put through meat grinder three times, using finest blade. Beat cream in small narrow bowl until thick. Fold cream into mayonnaise. Grate onion into mayonnaise mixture. Force garlic through garlic press into mayonnaise mixture. Add lemon juice and a generous dash of white pepper. Fold eel into mayonnaise mixture until well blended. Turn into bowl or hors d'oeuvre dish. Cover with clear-plastic wrap and chill overnight. Sprinkle egg and parsley over pâté just before serving. Serve with freshly buttered hot toast or Melba toast.

[recipe_title]Chicken-Liver Pâté, Cranberry Aspic[/recipe_title]

(Serves eight to ten)

[recipe]1 lb. chicken livers[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 lb. sweet butter[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons plain gelatin[/recipe]

[recipe]l-1/4 cups cranberry juice Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup onion, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoon garlic, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 lb. mushrooms, finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons madeira or amontillado[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons cognac[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon prepared horseradish[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon Dijon mustard[/recipe]

Let butter stand at room temperature just until soft enough to spread easily. Soften 1 tablespoon gelatin in 1/4 cup cold cranberry juice. Bring 1/2 cup cranberry juice to a boil; remove from flame and stir in softened gelatin until dissolved. Pour into 1-quart gelatin mold and place in coldest section of refrigerator to jell. Cut chicken livers into halves, removing any tough connecting tissue. Sauté livers in oil over a moderate flame until just barely done. Remove livers from pan; do not wash pan. In same pan, sauté onion, garlic and mushrooms until onions are yellow, not brown, using more oil, if necessary. Remove from fire. Soften remaining gelatin in balance of cranberry juice. Dissolve over simmering water. In wide-mouth blender, place chicken livers, butter, sautéed vegetables, dissolved gelatin and all remaining ingredients. Blend thoroughly at high speed about 2 minutes. This may be done in two batches, if blender is small. Taste liver mixture; correct seasoning if necessary. When cranberry juice in mold is jelled, pour liver mixture into mold, spreading evenly to edge. Chill overnight in refrigerator. To unmold, run a knife along inside edge of mold: dip mold into hot water for a few seconds; invert and unmold onto serving plate.

[recipe_title]Pâté of Duck, Grand Marnier[/recipe_title]

(Serves 10 to 12)

[recipe]1 5-lb. duck, boned[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. fresh chicken livers[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. boneless pork loin[/recipe]

[recipe]3/4 lb. boneless veal shoulder[/recipe]

[recipe]l/2 lb. salt pork (streaky type with lean showing)[/recipe]

[recipe]1 medium-sized onion, sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]6 sprigs parsley[/recipe]

[recipe]1-1/2 ozs. cognac[/recipe]

[recipe]2 ozs. Grand Marnier[/recipe]

[recipe]1 oz. amontillado[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup very finely minced shallots[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs, slightly beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon ground ginger[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon ground aniseed[/recipe]

Order duck from butcher several days in advance, so that he will have time to thaw and bone it. (Duck carcass, including wings, may be used for soup stock, if desired.) Cut breast meat from skin, keeping skin intact. Cut breast meat lengthwise into 1/2-in.-thick strips. Cut meat from second joints and thighs and set aside. Cut chicken livers into halves, removing all tough connecting tissue. Marinate strips of duck and livers for about 3 hours in onion, parsley, cognac, Grand Marnier and amontillado. Put remaining duck flesh, heart and gizzard of duck, pork loin, veal and salt pork through meat grinder three times, using finest blade. Strain marinade into ground meat, discarding onion and parsley. Set aside livers and duck strips. Add remaining ingredients to ground meat, mixing very well. Preheat oven at 375°. Place duck skin, outside part down, in 2-quart loaf pan, preferably Teflon. Spread half the ground-meat mixture in pan. Place livers in a row down center of pan. Place duck strips alongside livers. Add balance of ground meat; pat down well. Fold over any duck skin at top of pan. Cover with double thickness of aluminum foil. Place loaf pan in a larger pan containing 1-1/2 to 2 ins. very hot water. Bake 2 hours. Remove foil; let pâté cool at room temperature about an hour. Pour off excess fat from pan. When pâté is cool enough to handle, remove it from loaf pan and place skin side up in a shallow dry pan. Return it to 375° oven and bake until duck skin is well browned, about 1/2 hour. Cool again to room temperature. Wrap loaf in several layers of clear-plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. (For a more compact loaf, this pâté may be weighted down; it is not absolutely necessary, since it's easily carved with a sharp knife.)

[recipe_title]Liver pâté with Rum[/recipe_title]

(Serves 10 to 12)

[recipe]3/4 lb. calf's liver[/recipe]

[recipe]1 lb. boneless pork loin[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 lb. boneless veal shoulder[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 lb. fresh pork fat[/recipe]

[recipe]l/2 lb. salt pork (fat back), thinly sliced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup very finely minced onion[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large cloves garlic, forced through garlic press[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 bay leaf, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup 80-proof Hawaiian rum[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons lemon juice[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon prepared horseradish[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs, slightly beaten[/recipe]

[recipe]2-1/2 teaspoons salt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]l/8 teaspoon ground allspice[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon ground mace[/recipe]

Fresh pork fat is usually obtainable only by special request from the butcher. Have butcher slice salt pork on his machine, so that it is no thicker than breakfast bacon, or ask him to slice it horizontally and pound it between paper to that thickness. Sauté mushrooms in butter until tender. Put liver, pork loin, veal, pork fat and mushrooms through meat grinder three times, using finest blade. Mix ground meat with all remaining ingredients except salt pork, blending very well. Line bottom and sides of 2-quart loaf pan with salt pork. Add ground-meat mixture. Place any remaining salt pork on top. Cover pan with double thickness of aluminum foil. Preheat oven at 375°. Place loaf pan in larger pan containing 1-1/2 to 2 ins. very hot water. Bake 2 hours. Cool at room temperature about I hour. Place weight on top of pâté. Chill overnight.

The preceding recipes should put you on the right track in your pursuit of the pâté.