Pashtet z Chornoslyvom (паштет з чорносливом, prune pâté)

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •A 900g loaf tin
• •A wide heavy pot with a lid
• •A meat grinder or food processor
• •A roasting tray for the water bath
• •A small board and tins for weighting

Instructions

1. 1

   Brown the meat

   Warm the sunflower oil or pork fat in a wide heavy pot. Brown the pork and beef in batches until the edges take on a deep savoury smell, then lift them to a plate. Don't rush the pan. The brown bits at the bottom are what will make the pâté taste cooked through, not just ground up.

2. 2

   Soften the onions

   Add the sliced onions to the same pot with a pinch of salt. Let them soften in the fat until they go sweet and golden at the edges, scraping the pan as they collapse. Add the garlic only at the end, just until its sharp smell turns round.

3. 3

   Braise until tender

   Return the pork and beef to the pot with the bay leaves, peppercorns, salt, and water or stock. Cover and cook very gently until the meat breaks apart when pressed with a spoon. It should not be bubbling angrily. You want a low murmur, the kind Aunt Nadia called "until it sounds right."

   If the pot dries out, add a splash more water. You need enough juices left to make the grind soft and spreadable later.
4. 4

   Add the livers

   Tuck the trimmed chicken livers into the hot pot for the final few minutes, turning them until they lose their raw shine but stay tender inside. Overcooked liver tastes metallic and bossy. Just cook it until the smell changes from sharp to mellow.

5. 5

   Soak the bread

   While the meat cools a little, soak the bread in the milk until it falls apart between your fingers. Remove the bay leaves and peppercorns from the pot. Keep every spoonful of onion and cooking juice; that is not waste, that is the pâté learning to be tender.

6. 6

   Grind it fine

   Pass the cooked pork, beef, livers, onions, soaked bread, and pot juices through a meat grinder twice, or pulse in a food processor until fine but not whipped. The mixture should look soft and slightly sticky, not dry crumbs. Beat in the eggs, black pepper, allspice, and nutmeg, then taste a tiny cooked spoonful in a pan and adjust the salt.

7. 7

   Thread the prunes

   Chop half the prunes and fold them through the pâté mixture. Leave the rest whole or halved, depending on their size. Grease a loaf tin and dust it with breadcrumbs, then pack in half the mixture, lay the larger prune pieces down the centre, and cover with the rest. Press firmly so there are no hidden air pockets.

8. 8

   Bake gently

   Set the loaf tin in a roasting tray and pour hot water into the tray to come halfway up the sides. Bake at 170C until the pâté is set, pulling slightly from the tin, and gives that soft little sigh when pressed with the back of a spoon. If the top browns too quickly, cover it loosely with foil.

9. 9

   Chill and slice

   Cool the pâté in the tin, then weight it lightly with a board and a couple of tins and refrigerate overnight. Slice it cold and thick. Serve with rye bread, pickles, grated horseradish, and something sour enough to wake the whole plate up.

Chef Tips

• •The step that won't forgive you is the gentle braise. If the meat dries out before grinding, the finished pâté will slice but it won't spread with pleasure.
• •No meat grinder is fine. Use a food processor in short pulses and stop before the mixture turns into paste. You want fine texture, not baby food.
• •Prunes should be soft and dark, not hard little stones. If yours are dry, soak them in hot tea for ten minutes, then drain well.
• •A little liver gives roundness and old-fashioned depth. If liver makes your table unhappy, replace it with another 150g pork shoulder and 50g butter; a bit more modern, still generous.
• •Serve it cold. Warm pâté tastes confused, but after a night in the fridge the fat settles, the prune sweetness sharpens, and the slices behave.

Advance Preparation

• •Make the pâté at least one day ahead. It needs an overnight chill under a light weight before slicing.
• •It keeps well for 4 days in the fridge, wrapped tightly. Slice only what you need so the cut face does not dry.
• •The cooked meat mixture can be braised a day before grinding and baking; keep the meat and juices together in the fridge.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 140g)