Pâté de Poulet

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •6-inch (15 cm) round springform or raised-pie mould, about 3 inches (8 cm) deep
• •Food processor
• •Medium-mesh sieve or tamis
• •Firm bowl scraper
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small funnel or narrow-spouted jug
• •Rimmed baking sheet
• •Long slicing knife

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill and portion

   Set the food processor bowl and blade in the refrigerator. Spread the cubed chicken thigh, pork, veal, and fatback on a tray and chill them in the freezer for 20 minutes, until very firm at the edges but not frozen solid. Keep the Dressing Paste (Pâte à Pâté) (No. 2359) refrigerated. Cold is structural here: the fat must be cut into the meats, not smeared around a warm bowl.

2. 2

   Marinate the suprêmes

   Put the six suprême collops, the thick pieces cut from the breast fillets, in a shallow glass or ceramic dish. Add the brandy, ⅓ teaspoon of the measured salt, half the pepper, half the nutmeg, and the sliced truffles. Turn everything gently, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Drain well, reserving every drop of the marinade and keeping the truffles separate. Do not substitute the Cooked Marinade for Venison (No. 168): the chicken entry prescribes this short brandy marinade, while the numbered preparation belongs to the source's wider pâté references.

3. 3

   Make the forcemeat

   Process the chilled chicken thigh, pork, veal, and fatback in two small batches, pulsing first and then running the machine just until each batch becomes a very smooth, cohesive paste. The weights preserve the book's proportion exactly: 100 g chicken, 50 g pork, 50 g veal, and 200 g fatback, so the fat equals all the lean meats together. Scrape each batch into a bowl set over ice. If the fat begins to look shiny or greasy, stop immediately and chill everything for 15 minutes before continuing. Ça se rattrape. Warm forcemeat separates; cold forcemeat binds.

4. 4

   Sieve and season

   Push the forcemeat through a medium-mesh sieve with a firm scraper, discarding any sinew left behind. Beat in the reserved brandy marinade, truffle essence or juice, beaten raw egg, and the remaining salt, pepper, and nutmeg until the paste turns tacky and holds a soft peak. Fry a teaspoonful until fully cooked and taste it cold enough not to burn you; correct the seasoning now. If the forcemeat loosens after the marinade, refrigerate it for 20 minutes rather than adding crumbs. Do not add Gratin Forcemeat for Ordinary Hot, Raised Pies (No. 202): the source reserves that preparation for its game-pie variation, not Pâté de Poulet.

   Cold food tastes less seasoned than warm food. The fried test should taste distinctly savoury, but remember that the bacon and ham will contribute more salt inside the finished slice.
5. 5

   Line the mould

   Set a rack in the lower third of the oven and heat it to 350°F (180°C). Dust the work surface lightly with flour. Roll about two-thirds of the chilled Dressing Paste (Pâte à Pâté) (No. 2359) into a circle roughly 14 inches (35 cm) across and 3⁄16 inch (5 mm) thick. Ease it into the deep mould without stretching, pressing it firmly into the base and sides while leaving a fine crest about ¾ inch (2 cm) above the rim. If the pastry tears, patch it with a thin scrap and press the edges together with cold water. A raised pie needs a sealed vessel, not unblemished vanity.

6. 6

   Build the layers

   Use about one-third of the forcemeat to line the pastry base and sides in an even layer. Cover the bottom with thin larding bacon, half the ham, and another layer of bacon. Add a thin layer of forcemeat, half the truffle slices, another layer of forcemeat, and all six drained chicken collops. Continue with forcemeat, the remaining truffles, another thin layer of forcemeat, then the remaining ham enclosed between two layers of bacon. Cover with all remaining forcemeat, pressing firmly after every addition to remove air pockets. Finish with a final layer of bacon and the bay leaf. Keep the layers level and tight; loose packing leaves cavities that no amount of jelly can make handsome.

7. 7

   Close and gild

   Roll most of the remaining pastry 3⁄16 inch (5 mm) thick for the lid. Brush the raised crest with cold water, lay on the lid, and press the two pieces together firmly. Trim, turn, and pinch the crest into an even seal. Cut a ¾-inch (2 cm) opening in the centre and insert a short collar of folded foil to keep the chimney open. Cut simple leaves from the final scraps and arrange them around the chimney. Gild the lid and crest, meaning brush them evenly with beaten egg, taking care not to flood the pinched edge.

8. 8

   Bake to the centre

   Set the mould on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 75 to 90 minutes, turning it once, until the pastry is deeply golden and an instant-read thermometer passed through the chimney into the centre registers 165°F (74°C). If the crest colours before the centre is ready, shield it loosely with foil and keep baking. Clear any set juices from the chimney with a thin skewer as soon as the pie leaves the oven, then leave the pie in its mould to cool for 45 to 60 minutes. It should be warm rather than blazing hot when the jelly goes in.

9. 9

   Prepare the jelly

   While the pie half-cools, put 2 tablespoons of the cold chicken stock in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin evenly over it. Leave it for 5 minutes. Bring the remaining stock to a lively simmer and reduce it to about 1¼ cups (300 ml), concentrating the flavour that a classical kitchen drew from its permanent stockpot. Remove from the heat, stir in the softened gelatin until fully dissolved, and taste before adding the optional salt. Let the chicken jelly cool until lukewarm but still completely liquid.

10. 10

    Fill and rest

    Pour the lukewarm chicken jelly through the chimney a little at a time, pausing after each addition so it can settle around the filling. Continue until the cavity remains full at the opening; the exact amount depends on how tightly the pie was packed. If jelly begins leaking from a small crack, stop and refrigerate the pie for 15 minutes so the first addition seals the escape, then resume slowly. Chill the filled pie in its mould until completely cold, cover it, and rest it for at least 24 hours. The jelly must set and the filling must settle before the crust can hold a clean slice.

11. 11

    Unmould and slice

    Release the mould while the pâté is very cold. If the sides cling, warm a thin knife under hot water, dry it, and pass it carefully around the edge without sawing into the crust. Set the Pâté de Poulet on a folded napkin over a plain platter and cut generous wedges with a long, sharp knife, wiping the blade between cuts so the truffle, ham, collops, and amber jelly remain distinct. Serve very cold. À table!

Chef Tips

• •The fatback proportion looks bold because it is bold. Keep it. The source makes the fresh pork fat equal in weight to all the lean forcemeat meats combined; reducing it produces a dry, crumbly filling that separates from the crust.
• •Buy whole preserved black truffles in juice when fresh truffles aren't in season. Use the truffles for the layers and their liquid as the truffle essence. Bottled truffle oil gives an aggressive perfume without the truffle's earthy depth and doesn't belong here.
• •A processor replaces the brigade's chopping and pounding, but the sieve still matters. It removes sinew and gives the forcemeat the close texture that distinguishes this pâté from a coarse terrine.
• •Slice the pâté directly from the refrigerator with a long knife warmed and dried between cuts. Serve it plainly with cornichons and Dijon mustard alongside, never scattered over the cut face.
• •A mineral white Burgundy, dry Champagne, or light cru Beaujolais can carry the truffle and rich forcemeat. For a picnic, transport the pâté in a well-iced cooler and keep it below 40°F (4°C).

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare and thoroughly rest the Dressing Paste (Pâte à Pâté) (No. 2359) before beginning this entry; its own method remains with its numbered recipe. Keep it well wrapped and refrigerated until rolling.
• •The chicken stock may be reduced a day ahead. Refrigerate it, then warm it gently before blooming and dissolving the gelatin.
• •The finished pâté requires at least 24 hours in the refrigerator after filling. It may be made 2 days before serving and keeps for up to 4 days, tightly wrapped and continuously chilled.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 500g)