Venison paté campagne with your favourite chutney, by Paul Bloxham
This recipe for venison paté campagne was contributed by Paul Bloxham, chef and restaurateur at the http://www.blueanchorstalbans.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer">Blue Anchorin St Albans, Hertfordshire.
Home made paté is delicious and is very easy to make - especially if you ask your butcher to mince the meat for you. Please note it needs to be made the day before eating.
INGREDIENTS
(Makes 1 terrine)
• 500 gms trimmed venison shoulder
• 250 gms duck or pork livers
• 275 gms fatty belly pork
• 250 gms stale bread, crusts removed
• 250 mls milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 5 bay leaves
• 50 mls brandy and 50 mls gin
• 250 gms thinly sliced pancetta or streaky bacon
Herb & Spices • Zest of ½ orange
• 1 tbsp sea salt, smoked if possible
• 1 tsp pink salt or Saltpetre
• 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 1 clove garlic blanched and crushed
• 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 sp freshly milled black pepper
• 1 tsp freshly crushed juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 star anise
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 160°C. Grind the herbs and spices in a coffee grinder or pestle and mortar and reserve. Dice the venison and pork, then trim the livers, combine the meat with the spice mix and reserve.
Soak the bread with the milk until all the milk has soaked in. Line a terrine that has a lid with oil first and then cling film with plenty of overhang, then lay the whole bay leaves along the bottom followed by the pancetta, overlapping slightly from end to end, also with a overhang.
Set up a mincer and mince the meat mixture and the bread twice through a small die, mix in the egg yolks, brandy and gin and finally pack in the lined terrine, fold over the pancetta and clingfilm and pop on the lid.
Cook in a bain marie in the oven for 2 hours or until the centre has reached 70°C on a probe thermometer.
Cool slightly then press overnight with some heavy weights, cling film wrapped bricks or large tins.
Slice and serve with toast points not forgetting a pot of your favourite chutney, piccalilli or spicy cucumber and cashew nut pickle are my favourites.
