Pâté and Terrine for the Holidays in 5 Variations

Pâté and terrine are a holiday staple in Italy. Though these terms are often used interchangeably, the dishes vary.  Pâté refers to a recipe that calls for finely chopped and marinated meat, fish, or vegetables to which spices are added before it's baked in the oven. Traditionally, pâté, with its soft, dense consistency, fills a puff pastry. Terrine, on the other hand, refers to pâté-like recipes that contain coarsely chopped ingredients cooked in a covered earthenware pan instead of oven-baked.

Once prepared with humble ingredients, such as liver and giblets, pâté and terrine are now considered sophisticated, often consisting of refined and expensive ingredients. Making them at home is a long (but not too complicated) process. If you're interested, here are some tips. 

Liver pâté

Start by browning a shallot in a pot with oil. In the meantime, clean the duck and chicken liver. Transfer them to an oven-proof baking dish greased with olive oil. Add the shallot and bake at 350°F for 20 minutes. Once roasted, transfer the ingredients to a saucepan and heat with ⅔ cup brandy. Once the brandy has reduced by half, let it cool and then pour it over the liver and whisk until creamy. Add some mascarpone and mix well. Place the pâté in a mold and cover it with plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge for around 12 hours, and remove 30 minutes before serving. Spread over bread crostini and garnish with a blueberry compote.

Sea bream pâté

Boil the sea bream fillets in a basic court bouillon. Once cooked, add them to a bowl with a little extra-virgin olive oil, chopped chives, salt, pepper, and blended walnuts, whisk until creamy. Separately, melt the butter in a saucepan. Add the sea bream mixture to the butter and mix. Transfer to a bowl or mold, cover, and let rest in the fridge overnight. Serve with white grape jelly.

Pork terrine

In an oven-proof saucepan, brown 2 lb. pork loin with thyme, bay leaves, pepper, and sunflower oil. Cook for 5 minutes, and then roast the pork in the oven at 200°F for 3 hours. Once the meat is cooked, blend it and add salt to taste. Transfer to a bowl or mold and cover with plastic wrap. Let rest in the fridge for at least one hour and then cut into slices and serve atop bread crostini.

Rabbit terrine

Like all terrines, this dish works as either an appetizer or a main course. Begin by slicing the meat from 1 rabbit thigh and 1 rabbit saddle into thick strips. Add the meat to a bowl and marinate with onion, carrot, garlic, juniper berries, salt, pepper, olive oil, and plenty of white wine. Make sure that the liquid covers all the meat and rotate it often. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge overnight. Separately, mince some pork meat and mix it with 1 large egg, 1 Tbsp. flour dissolved in water, salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and mix to combine. Then line a mold with bacon, letting the strips overflow on the sides. Fill with alternating layers of rabbit meat (drained from the marinade) with filling. Lay the leftover bacon across the top surface and cover with a sheet of aluminum foil. Bake in a bain-marie at 325°F for 2 hours, then switch off the oven and let the terrine cool inside. Once cool, slice and serve.

Foie gras

This terrine recipe goes particularly well with a variety of mature cheeses, all further enhanced by a glass (or bottle) of good wine. Cut some fresh, fatty liver into small pieces and transfer to a sheet of aluminum foil. Add salt and pepper, then let it rest in the fridge overnight. Blend the meat with milk, cream, two egg yolks, and one large egg. Transfer the mixture to a bain-marie in the oven and bake at 400°F for 30 minutes, then switch off the oven and let cool before serving.