Pâté en croûte

serves 8
ingredients
450g/1lb streaky bacon rashers
250g/9oz chicken livers, cleaned
and finely minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh white
breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons sherry
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
200g/7oz ready-made puff pastry
1 egg, beaten
freshly ground black pepper
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Set aside 6 rashers of the bacon to line the pâté tin. Remove and
discard the rinds from the remaining bacon rashers, and chop finely.
• Mix the rindless rashers with the chicken liver in a large bowl. Stir in the
onion, garlic, breadcrumbs, sherry, nutmeg and black pepper to taste.
• Stretch the remaining rashers of bacon across the bottom and sides of a
1.1kg/2lb loaf tin, reserving 2 for the top. Spoon in the pâté mixture,
and place 2 rashers on top.
• Cover with foil, and stand the pâté tin in a shallow roasting tin half-filled
with hot water. Bake in the oven for 30 minutes until the pâté has shrunk
away from the sides of the tin.
• Remove the pâté tin from the hot water, and pour off the excess fat.
Leave to stand for 15 minutes.
• Increase the oven temperature to 200°C/400°F/Gas mark 6.
• Roll out the pastry thinly. Turn the pâté out of its tin, and brush with some
of the beaten egg. Cover with the pastry, using the beaten egg to seal
the edges and to brush the outside of the pastry case.
• Carefully place on an oiled baking sheet, and cook in the oven for a
further 30 minutes until the pastry is golden brown. Remove from the
oven, and allow to cool before serving.