This Super-Creamy Pâté Is an Instant Party Hit (2024)

FAQs

What is pâté made of? ›

It's an umbrella term. Traditionally made with liver, and mixed with wine and spices until it's cooked down into a spreadable texture, pâté can also be created with liver or other parts of pork, venison, chicken, fish, duck and other game, and even created with veggies on occasion.

Pate served on toasted bread or baguette along with a large green salad makes a simple, but scrumptious lunch or small meal. Again, cornichons make a nice addition to the plate. For a special presentation, slice the cornichon lengthwise in four to six slices and fan them out, placing one on each piece of Pate.

Some of the most popular types of pâté in France include pâté de campagne, made with pork, pâté de foie gras, made with duck or goose liver, and pâté en croûte, which is baked in a pastry crust.

A grilled, properly spiky sourdough bread would be the ideal here, but any decent, thick-cut real white or granary bread will do. Brown bread feels too worthy in this context. Likewise, limp, thin-sliced, industrially manufactured bread will not cut it in the regal presence of a paté.

Liver and liver products, such as liver pâté and liver sausage, are a good source of iron, as well as being a rich source of vitamin A.

Often artisanal pâté is made with locally sourced ingredients, with meat and fat from small farms instead of large corporations. The practices the company adheres to can drastically influence the price of the final product, creating a rather large gap between mass-market production and artisanal product.

A pâté often contains chicken, pork, duck, goose, or other game and common additions include vegetables, herbs, spices, and either wine or brandy (often cognac or sherry). Pâté can be served either hot or cold, but it is considered best enjoyed at room temperature.

Pâtés, Mousses, and Terrines: What's the difference? These words are typically used casually but they are all used interchangeably to refer to a baked ground mixture of meat, poultry or game ingredients (and sometimes vegetable and seafood as well), that have been combined with spices and a liquor.

• French bread spread

For an elegant and tasty appetizer, serve any type of pâté with a fresh baguette, sliced toasted bread. Let your guests self serve, or spread the pâté on the bread or toast in advance and arrange them on a garnished plate.

What is the jelly layer on pâté? ›

Aspic or meat jelly (/ˈæspɪk/) is a savory gelatin made with a meat stock or broth, set in a mold to encase other ingredients. These often include pieces of meat, seafood, vegetable, or eggs. Aspic is also sometimes referred to as aspic gelée or aspic jelly.

“Seal the deal” with melted butter on the top of the pâté. It seals it up nicely for storing in the fridge, protecting the pâté itself from turning color and spoiling too quickly.

As the name suggests, hard cheese is firm and goes perfectly well with our creamy and decadent mousse pâtés. Often savory, hard cheese can be divided into two categories: hard (such as Parmesan), and semi-hard (such as Gouda). We suggest pairing the former with Black Peppercorn, and the latter with Chicken Liver.

Beyond this the accompaniment could well depend upon the texture of the pate. A coarser, country-style pate can often be served with some cornichons (small gherkins) or small pickled onions (such as co*cktail onions). A smoother, parfait-style pate can be served with something sweeter.

Pate is French for paste. The most common types of pastes consist of offal, or meat (e.g., chicken, beef, rabbit, pork), but pate can also be made from vegetables and other ingredients; and 'all of the above'; with recipe variations too numerous to mention.

Pâtés, Mousses, and Terrines: What's the difference? These words are typically used casually but they are all used interchangeably to refer to a baked ground mixture of meat, poultry or game ingredients (and sometimes vegetable and seafood as well), that have been combined with spices and a liquor.

Always a favourite on any menu is a terrine / parfait or a pate. They are all similar in their intent, but are different in their appearance and texture. A parfait is a type of pate that has a very smooth consistency, whereas a terrine is traditionally more chunky and a pate would be somewhere in between.