1 lb Venison; trimmed weight
1/2 lb Belly of pork; trimmed weight
1/2 lb Chicken livers
1 sm Orange
1 Lemon
2 cl Garlic
1 1/2 ts Fresh thyme; more to taste
Whole and ground bay leaves
1 tb Red wine vinegar
1 tb Olive oil
1/4 pt Red wine
1 ts Gelatin powder
A few kumquats to decorate
Mince all three meats fairly finely and put them into a bowl. Add the zest
of the orange and lemon, the crushed garlic, the thyme, olive oil, vinegar,
a generous pinch of powdered bay and plenty of black pepper. Mix
thoroughly and stir in the wine. Cover and leave to marinate overnight.
Season with salt - I find 1 teaspoon about right but fry a small nugget of
the mixture to check. Turn the pate into a terrine of about 2 1/4 pint
capacity. Pack the mixture well down into the corners of the dish and use
a spoon to hollow out slightly the centre top. Cover with greaseproof
paper and foil, stand the dish in a roasting pan containing enough hot
water to come halfway up the sides of the dish. Bake at 325 F (160 C) gas
mark 3 for 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours.
Using a bulb baster, remove and reserve most of the juices that surround
the pate. Replace the greaseproof paper and foil, press the pate lightly
with 1-1/2 to 2 lb weights and cool for 1-1/2 hours. Then drain off any
remaining juices that have not been re-absorbed by the pate. Mix all the
venison juices that you have collected with the juice of the orange and
measure. Add a splash of water if necessary to make 1/2 pint in total.
Dissolve the gelatin powder in the mixture and use it to glaze the pate,
adding a few bay leaves and kumquats to decorate if liked.
Source: Philippa Davenport in "Country Living" (British), November 1988.
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
