Country Duck Pâté with Pork, Cognac and Duck Liver
This country duck pâté combines coarsely ground pork and leg meat with visible cubes of duck breast and liver. Cognac, garlic, thyme and bay perfume an overnight marinade, and caul fat wraps the terrine for gentle water-bath cooking. The video gives approximate, sometimes overlapping meat weights, so this written version standardizes a roughly three-pound batch. The probe temperature is the reliable endpoint: the center must reach 165°F, followed by a full chill for clean slices.
Ingrédients
- 1 lb coarsely ground pork shoulder
- 1 lb skinless duck breast cut into ½-inch cubes
- 6 oz boneless duck leg meat coarsely ground
- 6 oz boneless chicken leg meat coarsely ground
- 5 oz duck liver or chicken liver chilled and diced
- 2 tablespoons finely ground duck skin or pork fat
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons cognac or Armagnac
- 4 garlic cloves roughly chopped
- 4 thyme sprigs and 4 bay leaves plus optional bay leaves for the top
- 2½ teaspoons fine salt about ½ oz by weight
- 1½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- About 4 oz pork caul fat rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Combine the ground pork, ground duck leg and ground chicken. Add the diced duck breast. Spread in a shallow dish, season with salt and pepper, and add the cognac, garlic, thyme and bay. Cover and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
- Remove the large herb stems, bay leaves and coarse garlic pieces. Keep the meat cold. Beat the egg and add it with the finely ground fat and diced liver. Mix until the filling holds together, preserving the visible duck and liver pieces.
- Cook a small spoonful of the mixture fully in a skillet and taste it. Adjust the remaining mixture if necessary; never taste the raw poultry mixture. Preheat the oven to 325°F and prepare a roasting pan for a water bath.
- Line a loaf-shaped terrine with the drained caul fat, leaving an overhang. Pack in the filling in layers, pressing gently to remove air pockets. Add optional bay leaves, fold the caul fat over the top and cover the terrine.
- Place the terrine in the roasting pan. Add hot water to come halfway to two thirds up the sides. Bake until the center reaches 165°F on a probe thermometer, checking after about 75 minutes; a deep terrine may take 1½ to 2 hours or longer.
- Remove carefully from the water bath. Cool promptly, then cover and refrigerate for at least 12 hours before slicing. Remove the decorative bay leaves. Unmold if desired and serve thin slices with bread and pickles.
Vidéo
Notes
Quantities are standardized where the video measures by eye. Calories are approximate per serving. Allow 12–24 hours to marinate and at least 12 hours to chill after cooking.