James’ Country Savory Veal & Chicken Pâté with Pistachios and Sherry
This is a lovely, rich, herbal savory paté loaf dotted with pistachios and a hint of sherry. One of our customers and his family have enjoyed this for more than 20 years as a celebrated part of both summer and winter dining with friends and family. Wild mushrooms make this especially interesting during season. When James shared the pairing with me, I had to ask for the recipe!
Ingredients
- 2 TB. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 lb. mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- 1 large onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 c. dry sherry
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 tsp. thyme leaves, fresh
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, freshly ground
- 1/2 lb. veal, ground
- 1/2 lb. chicken breast, ground
- 1/4 c. pistachios, shelled
- 1 egg
- 1/3 c. parsley, chopped
- 16 oz. rustic bacon, sliced
- Assorted gold grapes, breads & crackers
Directions
At Least 1 Day Ahead: Preheat oven to 350 Degrees. In a 10” skillet over medium heat, heat olive oil, then cook mushrooms, onions and garlic until tender. Add sherry, salt, pepper, thyme and nutmeg, heat to boiling. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine mushroom mixture, veal, chicken, pistachios, egg, and 2 TB. parsley. With a wooden spoon, beat until well mixed. Line bottom and sides of 8 ½ x 4 ½ loaf pan with bacon, letting bacon slices hang over sides of pan. Spoon mixture into pan, packing to press out air pockets. Fold bacon over the mixture. Bake for 1 ¼ hours. Cover pâté with cling wrap and foil-wrapped cardboard; place 5 – 15oz cans to firmly compact pâté. Refrigerate overnight.
Just Before Serving: Remove cans, cardboard and clingwrap. Dip pan in hot water bath for 15 seconds; lift from water and run knife between pâté and sides of pan; invert. Scrape off excess fat. Serve pre-sliced with assorted breads, toasts, crackers and chilled grapes as an appetizer or as a garnished first course. According to James, “The perfect wine complement to this pale, nutted and sherried luscious loaf is an unassuming dry and crisp Rosé, such as Inman Family’s Endless Crush.”
Makes 2 pounds of pâté