Field terrine or pâtè de campagne

The recipe that Miriam brings us ( The winter guest ) is one of those that we love: a most traditional pâté de campagne, which you will enjoy in a big way simply by accompanying it with a good bread. Bon appetit!

The pâtè de campagne or field terrine is a classic of popular French cuisine that is eaten with arrobas of bread and for this reason, among other virtues, we like it so much.

This terrine, which is traditionally made with different meats from pork, lean meat, liver, bacon, etc., is characterized by a rather thick texture, it is not a spreadable pâtè as we know it, but is consumed in thick slices on rustic bread . And it is enjoyed. A lot.

This particular recipe comes from an English newspaper , take a look, because the Anglo-Saxons are the best gastronomy writers, I have told you. Although the formula is very traditional , I have taken the liberty of adding some dried cranberries to provide a sweet counterpoint that in my opinion goes very well with so much fat. Because it carries lots of fat, so if you have a slice for breakfast you can even treat yourself as a snack. Oh really.

Triana glass plates and rectangular terrine with Le Creuset press

Ingredients

• 500gr of minced pork, better shoulder if it is white pork (and if you use Iberian pork loin, your eyes will roll)
• 250g bacon, chopped
• 250g pork liver, chopped
• 5 tbsp. cognac/stale wine
• ¼ tsp. grated nutmeg
• ¼ tsp. ground cloves
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 2 rosemary sprigs or the dried leaves, chopped
• 2 crushed garlic cloves
• 1 egg
• 70g of breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp. milk
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 2 tbsp. peppercorns, green or assorted colors
• 1 good handful of dried cranberries, rehydrated
• 1 good handful of nuts, to taste (optional)
• 250gr of fresh bacon or bacon in very thin slices to cover the mold

Elaboration

1. We will ask our trusted butcher to mince the mixture of meat and liver or we will do it with a homemade mincer , so we leave it completely to our liking.
2. Once we have the hash done, we put it in a salad bowl and add the spices, alcohol, rosemary and garlic. We mix perfectly, cover with plastic and put the farce in the fridge for at least four hours or up to a whole night.
3. If we use some type of dried fruit, such as blueberries, we rehydrate it in hot water. We can also rehydrate it with some liquor, but keep in mind that the flavor will be stronger.
4. In a bowl we put the crumbled bread with the milk and let it soak for 10 minutes. Then add the beaten egg and salt, and blend.
5. We add this panade , which is what the French call it, to the meat mixture and homogenize.
6. We tested the seasoning of the farce by frying a bite of the mixture in the pan or doing it in the microwave. Adjust the salt and pepper if necessary.
7. Line the inside of the ceramic mold (terrine type) with the slices of bacon or fresh bacon, so that the pâtè is perfectly covered afterwards. We pour a third of the farce and add a handful of blueberries; we put another third of the meat and repeat the operation, to finish with the meat.
8. We smooth the surface and return what is left of the bacon or bacon on it. We press a little by hand or with the mold press ( the Le Creuset one at least has it) to fill in the gaps. We cover with the lid of the mold or with aluminum.
9. We place in the cold oven a dish where the terrine fits. We put the terrine inside; We pour warm water up to about 2/3 of the height of the mold.
10. We heat the oven to 170°.
11. From the moment the oven reaches the indicated temperature, we cook the terrine for 70 minutes until the interior reaches 65-70° or until when a skewer is inserted in the center the juices run clear. We take out the terrine, we put weight on top (with bags of legumes, for example) and let it cool completely.
12. Before consuming the pâtè de campagne, it is better to let it rest overnight in the fridge; flavors settle.
13. To consume the terrine we can leave it inside the mold or take it out to a source; If we prefer to take it out, we will put the terrine in hot water for a minute so that the fat that has been wrapped around it softens. We put a spatula on the sides to detach it, we make a little lever so that it detaches and we invert the mold on a source.

Et voilà !

Sweet wine "Arrels" from Clos Mogador , glass plates for Triana desserts , Pallarès knife and rectangular terrine with Le Creuset press

If we want to lighten the terrine a bit we can remove the slices of bacon when cutting the slices.

These types of terrines take a couple of days to prepare due to waiting times, but they are not excessively laborious in themselves. In addition, not only can we prepare them in good quantities and freeze them, but they can last very well in the fridge for three or four days, even more, and if we add a little salad, we already have several dinners ready. Hala, I have already organized the week for you.