Pate

Aaaaahhh...this is a very British pate, I like it lots but never tasted it prior to coming here to stay for good :P

I make pate usually before Christmas: belly of pork, possibly some smoked bacon or small smoked hock or small smoked bacon joint, but up, fried a bit, , then water added and cooked slowly until meat realllllly soft. With the meat I put several bay leaves, quite a few dreied mushrooms (of the cep variety), several peppercorns, even an allspice or two :). When the meat is reallllly soft, I take it out, with the peppercorns and bay leaves which i throw away, boil the liquid until, well...there is not a lot of it left, I add a breadroll to it, to soak up the juices. Separately I fry some chicken livers in quite a lot of fat, addonion, chopped any old way. Then I put it all in the food processor and whizz it till smooth or not so smooth if coarse pate is wanted. , To the mixture I add pressed garlic cloves (how many you want really...), a mixture of herbs (marjoram, thyme), caraway seeds, an agg, salt pepper and mix it all really well. Line a baking dish - one of those coffin-minus-lid or three with slices of backfat if you have it or very fatty bacon slices, fill the baking tin with the pate mixture, top it with more bacon, thin backfat and bake until it sort of comes away from the tin and is brown on top.

The proportions of ingredients is all relative ;P Best thing is to taste it after whizzing.

Now...I have a pack of chicken luvers in teh freezer, I'll try the British pate later on :)) Minus marsala as absent in larder

Krysia K.T. - starannie opakowana