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At home, pâté en croûte is a bit like a ritual, a gourmet break where I let myself experiment with the homemade stuffing. I love adding a bit of foie gras; it brings a richness you wouldn’t expect.
Well, I admit that sometimes I get a bit lost with the dough, between shortcrust and puff pastry I change at the last minute. But it almost always works, especially when you don’t forget the jelly to finish beautifully.
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If you’re looking to impress your loved ones, you’re in the right place. I’ll detail my tips, the little tricks I’ve picked up over time. Come on, shall we start?
The essential ingredients for a successful homemade pâté en croûte
- For the dough: flour (250 g), butter (125 g), one egg, a little cold water, salt.
- For the stuffing: meat mix (pork, veal, minced chicken, about 600 g), foie gras (100 g – not mandatory but it changes everything), garlic, shallot, parsley, spices (pepper, nutmeg), salt.
- For the jelly: chicken stock (500 ml), gelatin sheet.
- Little extras: an egg yolk for glazing.
Some tools that saved me
- Pâté en croûte mold (not essential, but so much more practical for the aesthetic side)
- Food processor or blender to mix the stuffing well
- A brush to glaze the dough with egg yolk
- A sharp knife for cutting afterward
Step-by-step for preparing a worthy homemade pâté en croûte
First thing, the dough. I often start by mixing the flour and cold butter until achieving a rough sand-like texture. Then I add the egg and the water little by little, until the dough is well homogeneous. I let it rest a bit in the fridge because it’s important for the texture.
Next, the stuffing: you can chop all the meats together, or make a mix with different textures, depending on your tastes. I always put garlic, shallot, parsley, salt, pepper, nutmeg. A quick spin with the blender and voila, it’s ready.
Assembly is where it gets tricky. You have to roll out the dough well, fill with stuffing, add the foie gras in the center (that’s the gourmet tip I love). Close delicately, pinch the edges, and glaze the dough with a brush.
For baking, I always put a bowl of water in the oven, it helps keep the humidity. Bake at 180°C for about 1h15 to 1h30. The hardest part is then waiting for the pâté to cool before thinking about the jelly.
These little tips that make all the difference
- Don’t hesitate to season the stuffing well, it’s the base, otherwise the result will be a bit bland.
- Let the dough rest, it makes working with it easier and prevents it from shrinking during cooking.
- Test the cooking with a knife blade, which must come out clean for the stuffing to be well cooked.
- Prepare the jelly the day before, it lets it set perfectly around the pâté.
Jelly moment: the final touch for a perfect pâté en croûte
So, the jelly is a bit like the cherry on top. For my part, I prepare a well-flavored broth (with a good chicken stock to keep it simple) into which I dissolve the gelatin. After baking and cooling the pâté, I unmold it, poke two or three small holes on top, and pour the jelly slowly.
I put it back in the fridge for several hours or even a full night. I love the moment when you finally discover the chilled pâté, the jelly sparkling; it really gives the impression of a grand house.
If you’re in a hurry, a quick pass in the freezer can help, but don’t overdo it or the jelly will crack. I like to take my time, especially with a dish like this one.
Basic facts to keep in mind
- Dough resting time: minimum 30 minutes
- Cooking: 1h15 to 1h30 at 180°C
- Rest after cooking: at least a few hours, ideally overnight
Pâté en croûte maison
4
servings30
minutes40
minutes300
kcalA delicious homemade pâté en croûte, perfect for your festive meals.
Ingrédients
500 g veal shoulder
300 g pork neck
200 g foie gras
2 onions
3 cloves garlic
200 ml white wine
4 sprigs parsley
1 pinch quatre-épices
to taste salt
to taste pepper
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500 g shortcrust pastry
1 egg for glazing
Instructions
- Finely chop the onions and garlic. In a large bowl, mix the veal, pork neck, foie gras, onions, garlic, chopped parsley, white wine, and spices.
- Season the meat mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for an hour to marinate well.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C. Roll out half of the shortcrust pastry in a pâté mold or a loaf pan.
- Fill with the marinated stuffing. Cover with the rest of the pastry and seal the edges with a little water.
- Make a chimney in the center of the pastry to let steam escape during baking.
- Beat the egg and glaze the top of the pastry with a brush.
- Bake for 90 minutes or until the crust is nicely golden.
- Let cool slightly before unmolding and slicing to serve.
Video
Notes
- Slip a small dish of water in the oven during baking: the steam helps keep a crispy crust outside while preserving the pâté nicely tender inside.
Nutrition Facts
- Total number of serves: 8
- Calories: 450kcal
- Cholesterol: 120mg
- Sodium: 520mg
- Potassium: 500mg
- Sugar: 4g
- Protein: 25g
- Calcium: 40mg
- Iron: 3.5mg
- Thiamin: 0.3mg
- Riboflavin: 0.4mg
- Niacin: 6mg
- Folate: 70mg
- Biotin: 8mg
- Phosphorus: 250mg
- Iodine: 8mg
- Magnesium: 30mg
- Zinc: 4mg
- Selenium: 30mg
- Copper: 0.3mg
- Manganese: 0.5mg
- Chromium: 0mg
- Molybdenum: 0mg
- Chloride: 0mg
