French Pâté Recipe (Chicken Liver & Pork Terrine)

5 from 10 votes

French Pâté Recipe (Chicken Liver & Pork Terrine)

This easy French pâté de campagne is made with chicken livers and pork sausage, wrapped in bacon and baked in a water bath. A classic country terrine that's perfect for entertaining — and it gets better the longer it rests.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine French

Keyword chicken liver pâté, country pâté recipe, french pâté recipe, pate, pâté de campagne, pork terrine

Dietary Restrictions Gluten-Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 1 10

Total Time 1 30

Servings

Calories 182kcal

Author Lisa Lotts

Equipment

1 pate or terrine mold with lid (or use a loaf pan).
1 baking pan or sheet pan with 2-3" high sides that will hold the terrine. for baking the French pate in a water bath.

Ingredients

1 pound chicken livers
1 pound country sausage I use Jimmy Dean- regular
1 egg
1 tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground
1 teaspoon nutmeg freshly grated
1 ounce gin about 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon fines herbes or herbes de provence
⅓ pound bacon
3½ - 4 cups hot water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Clean the chicken livers, by removing any excess fat and cutting away any large veins. Transfer livers to a mini-prep food processor and pulse several (8-10) times until the livers are well chopped, but not completely smooth.
In a large bowl combine the chicken livers and the sausage. Use your hands to blend the sausage into the chicken livers until they are well combined and their are no large chunks. Add the egg, nonfat dry milk, herbs, salt, pepper, nutmeg and gin. Use your hands again to completely combine the ingredients together. Set aside.
Prepare the pate mold (or 8x 4.5" loaf pan) by lining it with slices of uncooked bacon, draping the excess over the side. Cut slices of bacon and press them to the other three sides of the terrine or loaf pan.
Ladle the pate mixture into the terrine mold and cover tightly with the lid or aluminum foil. If using aluminum, use a sharp knife to make several slits in the aluminum so steam can escape.
Place the terrine in a pan with high sides and set the pan in the oven. Carefully pour the hot water into the pan until the water comes up about halfway on the pate mold. Bake for one hour and ten minutes. After baking, let the liver and pork terrine rest in the water bath for 30 minutes.
Carefully remove the pâté from the water bath and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Pâté is best when the flavors marry for several days before serving.
To unmold the pate, fill the high-sided pan with hot tap water and rest the terrine in the water for several minutes to loosen the pate from the mold. Use a sharp knife to loosen the edges. Turn the pate out onto a platter or dish.
Serve with crackers,crostini and/or crudite, cornichons and whole grain dijon mustard.

Notes

Cornichons are a traditional garnish. I like a little Dijon mustard as well.

Storage and Freezing:

Make this pâté recipe up to one week ahead.
This country pâté will last up to two weeks, tightly wrapped.
To store: Double-wrap in plastic wrap, then freezer paper.
You can freeze it whole or pre-slice it into 1″ portions — the slices are convenient for pulling out just what you need.
Keeps for up to 2 months, frozen.
Thaw overnight in the refrigerator; don't microwave it.

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