The pate combines venison, pork, and chicken livers. The terrine is baked and finished with an orange glaze for an elegant appetizer.
Prep Time: 24 hours, 10 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 pound venison (trimmed weight)
- 1/2 pound pork belly (trimmed weight)
- 1/2 pound chicken livers
- 1 small orange
- Zest of 1 lemon
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-1/2 tsp fresh thyme (more to taste)
- Pinch of ground bay leaves
- 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
- 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/4 pint red wine
- 1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
- Kumquats for garnish, optional
- Whole bay leaves for garnish, optional
Preparation:
In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, finely mince each of the meats by pulsing at 1 second intervals. Scrape into a large bowl.Zest the orange and lemon. Add the zest to the meat. Juice the remaining orange pulp into a separate bowl and reserve. (Discard the remaining lemon pulp or reserve to use for other purposes.)
Add garlic, thyme, olive oil, vinegar, powdered bay leaf, and black pepper to the minced meat. Mix thoroughly. Add the red wine, and mix again. Marinate the meat mixture overnight in a tightly-covered container.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (160 degrees C / Gas mark 3).
Season marinated meat mixture with salt, and turn into a 2-1/4 pint glass loaf pan. Press mixture evenly into all corners of the pan. Make a slight depression in the center of the loaf. Press a piece of non-stick foil inside the loaf pan to touch the top of the mixture, tightly crimping the edges around the outside of the loaf pan to make a seal. Place covered loaf pan inside a larger roasting pan. Pour hot water into the larger pan halfway up the side of the loaf pan. Bake for 2-1/4 to 2-1/2 hours.
Remove the foil cover. With a bulb baster, remove and reserve most of the accumulated juices from the pate loaf. Replace the foil and place 2 pound weights on top of the foil to compress the pate. Chill for 2 hours. Drain any remaining juice and add to previously reserved liquid.
Pour reserved liquid into a 2-cup (1 pint) glass measuring cup. Add orange juice and water (if necessary) to measure 1 cup. Dissolve gelatin in orange mixture.
Glaze the inverted pate with the gelatin orange mixture on a serving plate. Garnish with kumquats and whole bay leaves, if desired.
Yield: about 3 cups
