Each national cuisine of the world has its own special dishes, which many housewives dream of reproducing in their kitchen. To such dishes just belongs pate. This French dish has a rich history and includes several cooking options. Get to know him better.
Pate - what is this dish?
Translated from the French language, the word "pate" means paste. But there are several options for the preparation of this same paste. It could be pate en terrine. That is, a paste prepared in a special form called “terrine”. Or another version of pate en croute, that is, a baked paste in the dough. Both options are widely used in French cuisine.
Puff pastry is most often used to make bread crust for pate en croute. In the center, a hole is made for the exit of steam. Sometimes they even insert social tubes so that the steam comes out without damaging the top layer of the dough. In the center of the filling, a layer of pickled cucumbers, pistachios or boiled eggs is often located. This makes the taste richer and the appearance of the dish more attractive.
Pate is an appetizer that is served in front of the main course. In addition to the paste, you can prepare the sauce or gravy.
Interesting facts from the history of the dish
The following interesting facts testify to the fact that the pate recipe appeared in antiquity:
- The meat in the test was prepared by the ancient Romans. As a filling, they used pork and pickled bird tongues.
- In the Middle Ages, sturgeon, burbot, carp, cod meat was used to prepare the pate, as well as minced meat from venison, pork and other species.
- Many pate recipes are named after famous French figures. One of them is in honor of the famous general. This delicious cake is called pate a la Mazarini.
Chicken liver pate
This gourmet French dish can be easily prepared even in your own kitchen. Generally speaking, pate is a mixture of ground meat (pork, beef, poultry, game), liver or seafood in combination with vegetables, spices, herbs, boiled egg and butter. French pie can be of a smooth creamy consistency or prepared using a solid base of dough. It can be served hot or cold. Well, those who do not like the liver can cook chicken pate (fillet) with vegetables, nuts and other types of meat.
To prepare
chicken liver pate, you need to melt butter (100 g) in a pan with non-stick coating, add chopped red onion and fry for 5 minutes over low heat. Crush thyme in a mortar to make 2 teaspoons of grass, and send it to the onion in a pan. Add black pepper, ½ teaspoon of salt and 1 kg of chicken liver. Fry for another 10-15 minutes until cooked. Before removing the pan from the stove, pour 50 g of cognac into it.
Wait 5 minutes until the mixture cools down a little, and beat the liver into a paste in a blender or combine. After this, the pate is shifted into a rectangular shape, tamped and poured with melted butter (make sure that there is no foam). Refrigerate for three hours before use. Serve on slices of French baguette.
Pate - French Puff Pastry Pie
This is another option for cooking French pasta. Pate in this case is baked between layers of dough. For paste on this recipe, you can use any kind of meat.
The cooking process begins with preheating the oven to 200 degrees. Immediately you need to boil 3 hard boiled eggs. At this time, mix 250 g of chopped veal and 0.5 kg of minced meat. Beat until smooth with a blender. Add thyme, green onions and any other greens to taste, ½ teaspoon nutmeg, black pepper and salt. In a separate bowl, beat 2 eggs with sour cream (100 g 25% fat). Add the egg-cream cream to the rest of the ingredients and mix well the filling for the pie.
Now you can start the formation of the side. Reviews about this dish are often positive, so you can not worry that guests will not like the pie. In a deep rectangular shape (suitable for baking bread), lay out a layer of puff pastry (250 g), spread half the filling on top. Then put the whole boiled eggs and distribute half the minced meat again. Cover with another layer of puff pastry. Connect the two halves of the dough with each other and glue the edges with a beaten yolk. In the center, make an incision for steam to escape.
Bake the pate first for 15 minutes at a temperature of 200 degrees, and then another 40 minutes at 175 degrees. Serve cold by cutting the cake into portioned portions.