No liver, no complicated preparations—just chop a few vegetables and mix the ingredients well. Most of the work is done by the oven, and it keeps perfectly for other festive meals. It’s also much easier to slice when made in a square mold.
Recipe by: Mònica Escudero
Time: 120 minutes
Difficulty: Just chop a few things and mix well
Serves: Approximately 3.5 kg of pâté
Ingredients:
- 750g ground pork belly
- 1 kg ground pork bacon
- 1,250g ground pork shoulder (loin head)
- A handful of dried mixed mushrooms
- 250 ml Calvados, brandy, or whiskey
- 3 garlic cloves
- 3 shallots
- ½ small onion (Figueras onion, if available)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tbsp red pepper
- Mixed pepper (to taste)
- 4 bay leaves
- Pickles, mustard, and good bread for serving
Instructions:
- Crush the seeds: Use a mortar to crush the coriander seeds or a grinder, leaving them a bit coarse.
- Rehydrate the mushrooms: Soak the dried mushrooms in the chosen liquor until soft.
- Mix the meats and vegetables: Combine the ground meats with the rehydrated mushrooms (drained), the remaining liquor, chopped shallots, onion, and garlic.
- Add seasonings: Stir in the pepper, crushed coriander seeds, and the rest of the seasonings, except for the bay leaves. Mix thoroughly and taste for salt.
- Prepare for baking: Transfer the mixture into a glass mold (or two loaf pans), pressing it down well. Place the bay leaves on top, partially buried in the mixture.
- Cook in a water bath: Bake in a water bath in the oven at 90°C (194°F) for 90 to 150 minutes. The cooking time depends on the height of the mold—the taller the mold, the longer it takes for the pâté to cook through.
- Cool and store: Let the pâté cool, then carefully remove it from the mold. Wrap it in plastic film and refrigerate overnight.
- Serve: Once cold, slice the pâté and serve at room temperature, accompanied by fresh bread, mustard, and pickles.
