PATES AND TERRINES

PATES AND TERRINES.

INTRODUCTION

Pate and Terrine making has a long and illustrious history, unique in that today it is prized and practiced an art as it was in the earlier days. One of the most fascinating facts about Pates and Terrines is that, inspite of their well earned reputation for elegance and sophistication, they started life more as a means of preserving the produce of the autumn slaughtering of pigs. Besides the ham which were salted and sausages that were packed in cases, other tasty meaty morsels were made into Pates and Terrines, sealed with lard and put away for later enjoyment.

In the best traditions of peasant cookery, almost any type of meat or poultry found its way into Pates and Terrines. Miscellaneous portions of farmed reared pigs and rabbits, fowls long past the laying stage and game brought home by the hunters were transformed into brawns, herb flecked terrines and crepinettes, savoury pies, puddings and potted meats. The ones lovingly fattened pig may now be bred for higher leanness, the quail and the venison are as likely to be farmed as caught in the wild, but meat terrines and pates are still as varied and versatile as ever. Some of the recipes remain close to their rustic origins; the herbed pork and veal terrine is not unlike one that might have been produced in any farm house kitchen. Others, such as the layered terrine of mixed game and wild mushrooms embedded in a Madeira flavored jelly, reflect a more sophisticated and contemporary style.

Undeniably, many of the recipes call for a long list of ingredients and a considerable number of necessary steps. Yet meat terrines and pates are ideally suited for advanced preparations; their production can be divided into easy steps and accomplished well ahead of time. An interval of a day or so between cooking and serving will only enhance the complex flavor of the dish.

Perfumed with freshly chopped herbs and aromatic spices, a melange of succulent ingredients distinguish pates and terrines as some of the most delectable of food preparations. Dot pates and terrines with truffles, peppercorns, or nuts and lace them with a rich aspic hinting of eau de vie. They can be basic of fancy, inexpensive or costly. A cooked either free standing or formed into a container, they take on a multitude of shape and sizes - large, small, rectangular, oval, round, cylindrical or carved. Terrines are cooked, stored and sometimes even served in their decorative molds crafted on enameled iron, glass, porcelain, ceramic or pottery. Pates prepared in removable tin moulds, feature a delicate pastry as their ornamental container.

Justifiably or not, a certain mystic surrounds the preparations of these dishes. Chefs debate often heatedly, about their very names. To the purist, a pate is only entitled to that label if it is a savoury assemblage of ingredients presented in some form of a golden pastry crust. A terrine though similar to a pate, differs in that it is commonly baked, without a pastry crust, in a bacon or fat lined dish or a mould. Traditionally, pates are served hot or cold, while terrines are served cold. The two terms are now used interchangeably.

Whatever names their admirers give them, all these dishes share one common characteristic, they are food for those who genuinely like to cook. They invite imaginative marriage of flavours and textures, encourage a free hand with the spice box and offer generous rewards for those of experimental disposition. Though the preparations are elaborate, complex and required a modicum of patience, the results amply repay the efforts expended. These dishes look as wonderful as they taste, whether intended as a glamour centerpiece of a formal buffet or as the inviting mainstay of a rustic lunch, needing no other accompaniment than crusty bread, with a little cheese and fruits to follow.

The Pates and Terrines which have come down to us from the past includes not only pates, but also timbales, ramekins, pies, galantines and ballotines. The difference between these dishes are often confused, not only when transposed from one country to another, but even on a national level. Terrines are called pates or vice-versa and terrines are often referred to as parfaits or galantines. Thus, I have tried to bring a little order into this confusion by setting out certain basic criteria for each type of pate and terrine.

PATE

This word is used in three ways in French: Pate, Pate en terrine and Pate en Croute. In France, the word pate on its own should strictly speaking only be applied to a dish consisting of a pastry case filled with meat, fish, vegetables or fruits which is baked in the oven and served hot or cold. The best English translation of this word is pie, although many of this dishes are much richer and more elaborate than the sort of pie usually eaten in England and America and are often prepared in molds rather than pie dishes.

Pate en terrine is a meat, game or fish preparation put into a dish lined with bacon, cooked in an oven and always served cold. The correct French abbreviation of this is Terrine, but in common usage, the French also call it Pate. The English have adopted both means.

Pate en croute is a rich meat, game or fish mixture cooked in a pastry case and served hot or cold.

Pate was known to the Romans, who used to make it chiefly with pork but also used all types of marinated spiced ingredients. In the middle ages, their were numerous recipes for Patisseries made with pork, poultry, eel, turbot, carp, venison, sheep’s tongue etc. Today there are many varieties of pates inspired by French regional cookery: notably Pate de Chartes ( Partridge), Pate de Amiens ( Duck), Pate de Pithiviers ( Lark), Pate de Pezenas ( Mutton, spices and sugar ) etc.

The pastry most often used for pate en croutes is pate a pate which is an ordinary lining pastry made with lard, but a fine lining pastry made with butter is also used, as well as puff pastry and unsweetened brioche dough. The pate mould, which has deep sides and hinges or clips, maybe round, oval or rectangular. Dariole moulds are sometimes used for very small pates.

The fillings are based on Pork, Veal, Ham, Chicken, Fish, Game and sometimes vegetables. All the ingredients are generally minced quite finely but some of them may be cut into matchsticks, small strips or dices. The ingredients may be marinated separately. They are mixed with the filling or alternated with layers of filling.

TERRINE

A terrine, taking its name from the French “ Terre” which means Earth after the earthenware vessel in which it was traditionally baked, is a loaf based on meat, fish or vegetables that have been cut into small pieces or finely minced to form the mixture known as Forcemeat. It is a fairly deep dish with straight edges, grips or handles and a tightly fitting lid that rests on the inner lip. Terrines are manufactured in a wide range of sizes. The preparations known as terrines are made with mixed meat but can also be made with fish and seafood. They are served cold in a container in which they are cooked. The majority of meat terrines contain a certain amount of pork, or sometimes veal, mixed with the meat that gives the dish its name. The ingredients are used in varying proportions and are cut up in different ways, depending on the recipe. The containers are usually lined with bacon fat and the preparations covered with jelly or lard. They are often autumn dishes, as this is the game season, and may be decorated with mushrooms, nuts and aromatic herbs.

Terrines, which are cooked, covered in the oven, in a bain- marie are often rustic dishes, suitable for slicing; others however are sophisticated preparations e.g. Terrine de Nerac ( Red legged Partridge, Chicken livers, Ham and Truffle), Goose liver Terrine. Contemporary chefs have a preference for Terrines of fish and shell fish.

Terrines are also prepared as desserts made with fruits, set in jelly, which are served with fresh cream or a fruit sauce.

TIMBALES

This word is used in various senses. Originally a Timbale was a small metal drinking goblet: such timbales are now usually made of silver or silver plate and are purely decorative, been given to babies at birth or as Christening presents.

The word also refers to a serving dish similar to a vegetable dish, made of silver plated metal, stainless steel, or heat proof porcelain. Today however the word is applied chiefly to a plain round high sided mould and the preparation cooked in it - a pie crust baked blind and then filled with meat of various kinds, forcemeat, pasta etc., blended with a sauce. The crust is often decorated with patterns cut out with a pastry cutter.

The name Timbale is also given to a small preparation moulded into darioles, consisting of various salpicons, vegetables, rissotos and forcemeat etc., served as an entree or garnish.

PIES

The French have adopted the English word for the classic British and American pie. A pie can be sweet or savoury and may just have a top crust of pastry or a pastry crust that encloses the filling. American pies can also just have a bottom pastry crust and these are usually called tarts in Britain. The pastry used can be either short crust or puff. A pie can also have a mashed potato topping, as in shepard’s pie or fish pie.

Savoury pies are, generally, served as a main course. The best known are chicken pie, steak and kidney pie, game pie and pork and apple pie. Buffalo and beer pie( made with buffalo meat, vegetables, spices and beer), oyster pie, clam pie and salmon pie are American specialties.

The classic dessert pies are apple pie and plum pie, but almost any stone fruit can be used as well as pears, black currants, berries and rhubarb. American specialties include Pecan Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Blueberry Pie. These desserts are traditionally served with custard or fresh cream. English Chefs, generally refer to Basin pies, either completely encased pastry or just a pastry lid, as puddings, and they feature as one of the national dishes. As they are usually cooked in water - especially when made with suet pastry - the term pudding is most appropriate. But there are also a large number of pies which are baked in the oven.

According to English belief the pie was invented around the 15th century. But many would claim that the ancient Romans had a hand in their invention when they conquered Southern England and left many of their cooking and eating habits. It has been proved that it included the art of Pie making. But - one fact is certain - over the centuries English cooks and house wives have perfected the art. Recipes have been handed down from generation to generation with continual refinements. English settlers took the tradition with them to the new world and today traditional pies, albeit with slight variations, are as popular in the Eastern United States as in the mother country.

INGREDIENTS

The need for high quality ingredients is the hallmark of all good food including Pates and Terrines. But unfortunately many people forget this even the professionals. So, for the pastry, the flour, butter and eggs should be as fresh as possible. Pork fat for the terrine should be absolutely fresh, snow white and firm. This is obtainable from pig with a good layer of fat and these are few and far between. And it is obvious that the forcemeat will only be at its best if fish, meat, poultry, game or offals are used of top quality. Where vegetables are to be used the best option for cooks is to gather them fresh from his or her own garden. But since this is impossible in most cases, professional chefs try to adopt the standard of the nouvelle cuisine Chefs in France: many go off to the markets while the rest of us are still sleeping to get the first choice of the first foods or they procure imported ingredients. For this is the only way they can be certain that the meat, fish, poultry, game and vegetables are of the best quality.

This is all well and good, but what options are there for an ordinary person with a sophisticated palette who would like to make an occasional pate but is unsure where to get the best ingredients. Foods offer - even in the exclusive food stores and delicatessen - are often a disgrace. We are offered limp, obviously old vegetables. Often we get only frozen poultry which is unsuitable for pates and terrines. Fresh cream is often hard to come by and herbs show their age through the lack of flavour. Only with butter and eggs can one be sure of quality.

So, unfortunately the Chefs have no choice but to get up and go and look for fresh sources. Ofcourse, this takes up a lot of his time, but it is time well spent. For you can only make a really good pate or terrine from top quality ingredients.

STOCKS FOR FULL FLAVOUR

A good, well flavoured stock adds moistness and flavour to terrines and pates, provides a poaching liquid for galantines and when mixed with gelatine and clarified makes aspic. Producing good stock is a simple procedure.

Stock comes from a humble beginning indeed - inexpensive cuts of meat, fish bones, or chicken wings and backs. Attention to details will reward you with a rich and limpid stock: any large fat deposits should be trimmed away before hand. Large bones if they are to cede the treasured gelatine that gives body to a stock, should first be cracked. During cooking, skim off the scum that collects on the top of the liquid to prevent it from clouding the stock. After its initial rapid cooking a stock must not be allowed to return to a full boil during preparation, the turbulence would muddy the liquid. As a final cleansing, the stock should be strained through a fine sieve or a colander lined with muslin.

To prepare the stock for storage, divide it among containers surrounded with ice water. Wait until the stock has cooled before covering the vessel, otherwise it may sour. Refrigerated in covered containers, any stock will keep up for three days. Because the fat on top of the stock will form a temporary seal helping to keep it fresh, you need not degrease the stock until shortly before you are ready to use it. To prolong the life of a refrigerated stock first remove and discard the congealed fat, then boil the stock for five minutes, either freeze the stock or boil it again every two or three days. As always, cool the stock quickly uncovered before storing it once more. Fish stock and vegetable stock may be frozen for two months. Other stocks may be frozen for as long as four months. Stock destined for the freezer must be first degreased, since frozen fat can turn rancid.

CRYSTAL CLEAR ASPIC

Aspic is the clear jelly that is used to glaze many terrines and galantines, to bind the elements in brawn and other jellied preparations, and to fill the gap between pastry and filling in traditional pates. It is derived from stock, set with gelatine and clarified - cleared of its impurities - with egg whites and shells. Aspic may be made from any type of stock but vegetable stock, usually the easiest to prepare, is always used.

How long aspic jellies have been used in pate making cannot be ascertained with any certainty. But aspic as a separate dish was not unknown to the Romans. Their aspic must have been rather cloudy for the method of clarifying aspic with egg white was not discovered until La Varenne came along. Atleast it was he who published the method for the first time in his book Le Cuisinier Francois. An auspicious time for the art of cookery, atleast for cold cookery. Of course a cloudy aspic of unclarified stock tastes just as good, but just imagine an aspic pate with its brightly coloured vegetables without its clear shining coating. Not to mention the various aspic jellies which are served in cubes with pate and melt tenderly on the tongue.

In the old days considerable time was spent making a form of gelatine from the gristles and bones, particularly calves feet which had to be boiled for hours on end. One highly flavoured type of aspic known in Bavaria as “ Knocherlsulz” is still made in this way. But now this long process can be eliminated for good quality gelatine is available in powdered and leaf form and has a completely neutral taste. It is a natural product consisting of soluble proteins, animal proteins treated in a certain way. But other modern aides, in the shape of instant stock, create more problems. High quality instant gelatine or aspic powders are very practical and can be used quite well with a simple strongly flavoured country style terrine. But if one is making a gourmet game terrine with truffles, with its expensive ingredients and time consuming preparations, one cannot risk spoiling the excellence of the finished result by using anything other than an home made aspic preferably made with the original stock.

100 ml egg white

beaten to soft peak

1 small onion, finely diced

50gm leek, finely diced

50gm celeriac, finely diced

few stems of parsley

1 tsp salt

8 white peppercorns

1 bayleaf

1 litre light stock

100ml white wine

40gms aspic powder or leaf gelatine

IVORY CHAUDFROID

Louis Alexander Berthier, Marshall of France was eating a chicken fricassee, but was called away from the table for a considerable length of time. He returned to find the fricassee cold and congealed. Louis was angry but he continued with his meal - and discovered how good the food tasted cold. From that time on this dish which the Marshall named Chaudfroid was never missing from his banquet table. In English the term means something like this “ first hot then cold”.

The term has come to be used in cooking for any dish which is prepared hot but intended to be eaten cold. With terrines and galantines we have the chaudfroid sauces, covering sauces. They are not transparent like aspic and completely mask the beautiful terrine or galantine, so a variety of colours have been introduced for these coatings. A chaudfroid sauce made from a light stock and white sauce, or made more frequently today from light stock and reduced cream, is white in colour. This gives a particularly beautiful cream coloured sauce. It can however be made in shades of green, pink or red by adding spinach, lobster roe, or tomato paste. To make a brown chaudfroid sauce, for demiglazes jellied brown stock is used. This concentrated stock also guarantees a concentrated flavor. So a good chaudfroid sauce should not be considered merely as a decorative element which helps preserves freshness, to be left on the side of the plate like a sausage skin. Its flavor should not compete with that of the terrine, but its flavor and seasoning should complement that of the terrine. They should be related in taste. If a stock is made specially for the sauce this is no problem; a fish stock for a fish terrine, a poultry stock for a duck terrine. But as with aspic jellies, these sauces can also be flavoured with wines or spirits. To give highly satisfactory results.

Chaudfroid sauces and Aspics are often used together to decorate a terrine. A terrine covered with white chaudfroid sauce which forms an excellent base for the decoration for herbs, truffles or vegetables can be covered with a layer of aspic. This prevent it from being disturbed when the terrine is sliced.

1.5litres fat free light stock

600ml single cream

40gms cornflour

1tbsp dry white wine

20gms gelatine

salt and freshly ground white pepper

These ingredients will give 1 litre of chaudfroid sauce.

CRUSTY PASTRIES

Long ago, the inventive Greeks were already encasing meat, fish and all kinds of vegetables in pastry. And they are thus credited with the pie. It is also an established fact that the Romans followed their example. But no one knows exactly who invented the Pastry, the crisp crust which encloses the choicest food, protecting them, preserving their juices and enhancing their flavor. It seems certain however that the first pastries were made simply with flour and water and resembled our eggless pasta dough. This has led to the conjecture that the ancient Greeks and Romans left their pastries uneaten out of consideration for their teeth, and indeed it would have required considerable force to bite through this primitive form of pastry to reach the filling.

It is clear that the early pastry cooks were not slow to discover the advantages of adding fat and eggs to give their pastries a more lighter and edible consistency. But pastry was not always intended for eating. In the middle ages it was used to make attractive table decorations, designed to stimulate the appetite. While these could be extremely artistic constructions, sometimes the designs were very simple. However simple or extravagant to be eaten or not, a pastry crust has always been an important part of pie making. Pastry was and still is an easy to work material. The simpler the pastry ( that is the less fat it contains) the more complex the constructions can be made with it. This is obvious from the exotic pastry constructions of the middle ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque and Rococo periods. The first great pastry cooks were Italians who were later imitated by the French. It was they who first improved the flavour of pies by leaving out the pastry altogether, thus inventing the terrine and galantine.

SHORT CRUST PASTRY

The most important pastry and the first in the history of pie making is the short crust or kneaded pastry, known in Grandmother’s day and even earlier as rub-in pastry, after the process of rubbing the fat into the flour with the hands to form crumbs before adding the other ingredients. It is still made in the same way today, or alternatively all the ingredients can be mixed quickly together to give a good pastry which is rich in fat. Most pies intended to be eaten cold, and some small pies to be eaten hot are made with shortcrust. It can also be used for making old- fashioned English pies, even though suet pastry is more often used - and for good reason, for beef suet makes pastry flaky and light.

Short crust pastry is usually associated with sweet tarts, but short crust for savoury pies naturally contains no sugar. In France and Switzerland the term Shortcrust or Pate Brisee refers exclusively to pie crust which contains salt rather than sugar. Of all the pastries used in pie making shortcrust comes top of the list, for almost all savoury pies are made with it. The quantities of its basic ingredients vary according to the type of pie. More fat and less fluid gives an extremely crumbly pastry which is quite difficult to handle, does not cling well together and falls apart easily when rolled. If the liquid content is increased the pastry holds together better and is easier to handle. The quality and quantity of the flour is also crucial, the most important thing being for the flour to be fresh with a pleasant wheaty smell.

450gms flour

225gms butter

1tsp salt

5tbsp water

1 egg

Pastry made with lard:

450gms flour

175gm lard

1 tsp salt

150 ml water

PUFF PASTRY

Puff pastry pie crust are invariably eaten hot. In case of savoury pies puff pastry is without exception eaten hot, for the pastry loses its flaky consistency when it cool, then the moist filling makes the pastry heavy. This pushes the puff pastry into second place in order of importance of pie crusts. It is a delight to eat when it has been expertly prepared. Although there are several ways of making it, the principle remains the same: the thinnest and finest possible layers of water based dough and butter give this pastry its airy consistency. Contrary to general opinion, puff pastry is not particularly difficult to make but is extremely time consuming.

800 gm flour

400 ml water

2.5 tsp salt

1 kg butter

200 gm flour

YEAST OR BRIOCHE PASTRY

This pastry plays only a minor part in classic pates, but some chefs use it to make a superb foie gras in yeast pastry. Yeast dough is better known, however, in connection with Russian Pirozhki, Galican and South American empanadas and a number of specialty dishes.

450g flour

25gms fresh yeast

225ml lukewarm milk

40gm butter

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

FORCEMEATS

The French word farce (forcemeat) means ‘practical joke, prank’ and demonstrates the common origin of eating and display. At one time it was common to play a joke on the guest by filling a hen, fish or some other small animal with a farce. It was much later that the forcemeat was improved and made more appetizing to enhance the taste of the food that was stuffed. Eventually the preparation of stuffings became one of the highest achievements of the art of cooking.

Whereas the stuffing was only an interesting addition to stuffed meat dishes, the pate was created to show off the filling, and finally they stuffing alone sufficed to form the terrine. These contain either the finest ingredients or alternatively simple, strongly flavoured meats, as for example, in the case of a homely liver pate or a French country style terrine.

There are many different methods of obtaining excellent results, but a good forcemeat must be light and airy; it must release its flavour as it melts on the tongue. This is equally true of a forcemeat made entirely with meat, or one which includes eggs, bread or even flour. Purists who make their pates and terrines strictly with meats alone, and only include pork fat where necessary, will no doubt stop reading at this point. But in some situations we have to make compromises, to save time maybe, or to make expensive ingredients go further.

A forcemeat consists of three elements: firstly, the main flavouring ingredient, which gives the pate its dominant flavour and usually its name too. Secondly, the pork, which is not absolutely essential, but which gives a good pate its smoothness. Thirdly, the pork fat which, in the right quantities make the pate light, gives it its individual, melting consistency, and is unrecognizable as fat. Added to these we have seasoning with possibly other meat, nuts or mushrooms. It is an extremely simple recipe.

Success in making forcemeat depends on the binding agents, which, in other types of forcemeat, would consists of eggs or breadcrumbs. In a pure meat forcemeat, the binding agent is the meat’s natural protein which holds the other ingredients together. But at high temperatures, it tends to coagulate which makes it useless as a binding agent. As a result, any preparation of filling must be done at the lowest practical temperatures, and the mixture never allowed to reach room temperature. This would be enough to risk ruining the filling. Cold, cold and cold again must therefore be the watchword throughout the whole process of preparation.

A point which is often disregarded in cookery becomes of the greatest importance in all filling or pates: the finest meat, the freshest fish, the best hung game, only these are good enough. There are a few problems with game and game birds which live in their natural surroundings and feed from natural foods. There is more of a problem with fish. People living on the coast should have no problem procuring fresh fish, but for anyone else fish should be bought from reputable fish-mongers only where one can be sure that the fish will have been properly refrigerated before it reaches the consumer. It is quite a different matter with veal, pork and poultry. Modern production and feeding methods have made it difficult to find a good piece of pork in most industrialized countries. A firm, meaty joint from an animal fed by natural means is very different from commercially reared pork, which is usually of a good, light colour but poor texture.

Regardless of whether you are making a simple, country style terrine, or an exotic quail pate with truffles, pay attention to quality. It is sad that the wide choice in the shops today make this more important than ever before, but there is a solution to the problem, organizing your menu around foods available fresh on the market. This is not a new idea but it guarantees quality and is essential to a good forcemeat. One disadvantage of forcemeat is it’s richness, so do not eat excessive quantities of pates and pies. They should be eaten as carefully as they have been prepared.

There are just about as many forcemeats as there are different kinds of pates and terrines. Every forcemeat is unique, if only by virtue of slight variations in composition and seasoning. Nevertheless there are only a few number of very similar ways of making forcemeats, the main variation consisting primarily of the various binding agents. A forcemeat should, as far as possible, hold together- bind- without any other help. The natural protein in the main ingredient should bind sufficiently, thus retaining all the full flavour of the meat or fish. Protein binding is thus the only form of binding when lean meat and pork fat are used. Other binding agents which give a deliciously smooth filling when used correctly are: white bread with milk or cream, whole eggs, flour panada or rice.

It is essential to release as much protein as possible from the meat by careful chopping. But heavy work, with any implement, produces heat and inturn coagulates the protein and diminishes its binding qualities. This seems to be a vicious circle, but can be overcome easily if a few basic rules are followed.

· Chill all ingredients thoroughly. Even the utensils, for example the mincer, should be cold.

· Season the meat as you cut it: salt helps release the proteins.

· When chopping meat make sure the equipment are in right condition.

· Chill the ingredients after each stage of the recipe.

Depending on the ingredients and methods of preparation of the recipe, some ingredients such as the fat or cream can be frozen, and the frozen pieces of fat and frozen crushed cream will help keep the other ingredients cool during the mincing process.

PREDOMINANT MEAT: determines what the forcemeat will taste like( typically untender cuts).

SECONDARY MEAT: it is most often lean pork, chicken or veal and is used to supplement the primary meat and should meet the following criteria:

· Neutral in flavour- compliments other meats.

· High in proteins and moisture.

· Binds well.

· Low cost.

· Availability.

PORK FAT

· Flavour - neutral, blends well with other seasonings.

· Consistency - always buttery and smooth.

· Higher melting point.

· Availability.

· Inexpensive.

PRIMARY BIND

· Meat, fat and salt are the primary bind.

· Meat and fat must be cold.

· Salt brings out the myosin to helps in bind.

SECONDARY BIND

· Eggs are the secondary bind( they are not always needed).

· Panada is a starch product used to absorb the moisture and ensure that the products is not dry.

PANADA

A secondary binder used in forcemeats. All panadas have a farinaceous base to stabilize the fat of the forcemeats by absorption of the natural juices when cooked, thus causing a swelling without separation( starch absorbs moisture before fat).

· Bread- for fish.

· Flour- for fish and meat.

· Cooked rice- all types.

· Cooked Potato- white meats.

TESTING FORCEMEATS

Cook a small amount of forcemeat to check flavour and consistency. Wrap a small amount of forcemeat in a plastic wrap, secure the ends, poach in a 160 degree F water bath, shock to chill, taste.

GARNISH FOR FORCEMEAT

Different types of food products are used for garnishes of forcemeats, they must be compatible with the type of meat used. Pistachio nuts, diced ham, tongue or truffle are some examples.

SIGNS OF A BROKEN FORCEMEAT

· Loss of fat.

· Loss of moisture.

· Loss of consistency.

· Loss of volume.

· Loss of flavour.

REASONS FOR A BAD FORCEMEAT

· Meat too warm while grinding.

· Equipment too warm while grinding.

· Dull blades on the grinder or food processor which generates friction.

· Cooking time to long.

· Cooking temperature too high.

SPICES AND SEASONINGS

It is difficult for us to imagine the immense variety of seasonings used by cooks in the past, so we tend to forget that a knowledge of seasoning was indispensable to the medieval cook. In the days before refrigerators they were used to hide the taste and smell of foods which were no longer fresh. Pepper, for example, not only masked such flavours- it also delayed the process of decay by upto 24 hours. Pies, however, required a profusion of seasonings for other quite special reasons. Seasoning were both rare and expensive: pepper for example was worth its weight in gold and some businesses made their profits in dealing with spices alone. One pound of Nutmeg costs as much as seven fattened oxen, according to a price of 1393. So spices became a status symbol and were most used where they created the maximum impression - that is in the pies, the most showy of all the dishes brought to the table.

Explorers like Columbus, Magellan, and Vasco da Gama had a lot to thank the cookery business for: when they landed on foreign soil they did not only look for gold, for astronomically expensive spices were even more in demand in Europe. It was at this time that the special association of individual herbs and spices with a particular geographical area was established: cloves from the Moluccas, ginger from India, chilli from America, allspice from Jamaica and Cuba. To counter the problems of cost and short supply, inventive cooks replaced foreign spices with imaginative combinations of dried or fresh herbs, a form of economy which was to appear over and over again in times of need.

But less imagination is required in today’s commercial world where you can buy mixtures of pate seasonings. No one could object to them on the grounds of there quality, but what a comedown from the time when seasoning were an opportunity for creativity and a means of self expression. Ready mixed herbs take away the greatest pleasure in pate and terrine making: a chance to give these culinary works of art their own, quite individual flavour.

It is not as difficult to use herbs successfully as it is often thought. We can make a basic seasoning with which we can experiment and keep some in stock, but not more than what can be used in 6 months, for herbs soon loose their aroma, specially when mixed with other herbs. When we can give our imagination a free rein, we should not totally ignore the experience of generations of cooks who have learnt what goes well with what- and what does not. Wild boar and juniper, for example: these bitter berries can be added to the basic seasoning to complement any game dish. A little marjoram and garlic also brings out the flavour of the game very well. But we must avoid strongly flavoured herbs with delicate venison pate, where grated lemon or orange peel are better than marjoram. Rosemary and sage go well with poultry, and concentrated fresh orange juice goes well with duck. Another idea for duck is to add coarsely chopped green peppercorns, as in one variation of foie gras. Thus, there are no limits to the possible variations.

WINES AND SPIRITS

Alcoholic flavourings can also be used in pates and terrines to compliment the other flavourings. Labels such as “cooking wines” or “hotel quality”, which are synonymous with second rate, should be considered as warning. Despite the assertions of many cookery books, one should use only the best for cooking, the wine with best bouquet and the brandy with best aroma. Alcohol content is unimportant, only the flavour counts. The alcohol evaporates of course and one cannot get drunk from eating a pie or a pate.

Alcohol should never be mixed directly into the filling, for it expands and could cause the pastry to crack during baking. So it is best to use liquor in food in the following way: use it to dilute the juices left in the pan after cooking the main ingredients and reduce it, where possible using a little stock made with leftover meat used for the pate. The sauce obtained can be added to the filling or used to moisten the other ingredients. It is obvious that a sauce of this kind is always better than barbarically sprinkling a filling with some kind of cheap spirits. THE NOUVELLE PATES AND TERRINES

The intriguing pates, terrines and galantines displayed in the windows of a good delicatessen or exotic buffets are often regretfully forsworn by today’s health conscious food lovers. When made in conventional manner, these delicacies too often fall into the category of forbidden fruit: they are rich in pork fat, laden with salt and packed with exquisite morsels of meat and seafood whose savour is exceed only by their cholesterol count. The good news, however, is that consolation is at hand. A new style of cookery now renders such delights as these accessible even to those who wish to keep to a lighter, leaner diet.

Any attempt to create pates and terrines that respect the contemporary preference of lighter, healthier eating has to begin by addressing the problem of fat. Traditional terrines and pates have always relied on animal fats. Egg yolks, butter, cream and most particularly, pork fat- minced, cubed or cut into bards- play main roles: they bind and moisten, enhance flavours, produce a suavity of texture and in some cases, act as preservatives. Indeed, to some chefs, the very notion of a low fat pate would be absurd. The recipes developed by these evolving chefs are designed to reduce the fat content substantially, without making an unrealistic attempt to eliminate it altogether. Less emphasis is placed on pork and other fatty meats; more use is made of poultry, naturally lean game, fish and vegetables. When some form of enrichment or lubrication is necessary, alternative sources of more modest fat content are used. Streaky bacon, for instance, provides a leaner alternative to bards of pork fat for lining baking dishes and covering terrines; so, too, does caul, the pliable, lacy membrane that surrounds a pigs stomach. Wrapped around a mixture of highly spiced meat and vegetables to form a single large terrine, caul will gradually melt in the oven’s heat, basting the filling as it cooks, and crisping and browning into an attractive lattice pattern on the surface of the finished dish. Caul is available, fresh, dry salted or frozen.

Classic fish and vegetable terrines are often based on a mousseline, an amalgam of cream and egg whites- sometimes further enriched with egg yolks and butter- blended with fish and chicken. Yet the mousseline’s delicate flavour and silken texture need not be renounced by the health conscious: a lighter but highly satisfactory version can be made with low fat soft cheese or yoghurt, using only the whites of egg. Not only does this variant contain appreciably less fat, but also it is easier to handle: it is less prone to break or curdle, and does not need to be kept as cold as ordinary mousselines, which will often fall apart unless prepared over a bowl of ice.

Potted meats, poultry and seafood needs even less fat. These simple, quickly made dishes are moisten instead with stock, fruit juice or yoghurt. Another approach to reducing fat content is to modify the doughs and pastries used for covering the pates. The simple short crust can be made with ploy unsaturated margarine instead of butter or lard to reduce the amount of saturated fat. A brioche dough is a good low fat alternative to classic puff paste with its heavy cargo of butter.

Raised savoury pies, a hallmark of old English cookery are characterized by their sturdy hot water crusts. Indeed so robust is this casing that it was used in the 18 th century as the packaging for a celebrity regional specialty known as Yorkshire Goose Pie. This delicacy consisted of a whole tongue embedded in a forcemeat and enclosed in a boned chicken which in turn was placed inside a hollowed out goose. The entire assemblage was then sealed into its hot water crust and posted to distant friends as a gift for Christmas. The modern hot water crust may be less suitable for shipping across the Yorkshire moors in a horse drawn coach, but it is considerably lower in cholesterol than its prototype and is again made with poly unsaturated margarine instead of lard.

Vegetables in Nouvelle Guises

Few dishes express the new style of cooking as well as the vegetable pates and terrines. Light, fresh, colourful and healthy, they are based on ingredients that are not only rich in valuable nutrients, but low in calories and virtually devoid of fats.

Delicate timbales of fresh green peas and Mange Touts, an aromatic Terrine of wild and cultivated mushrooms set in a creamy mushroom mousse, or individual red pepper ramekins would make an elegant and intricate prelude to a sophisticated dinner menu, a vibrantly spiced black eyed pea pate or pureed carrots spiked with balsamic vinegar, fresh herbs and cumin provide a simple quickly prepared picnic snack. Some vegetable terrine and pates are substantial enough to form a main course for a lunch or supper, many would serve either as a separate vegetable course or as a vegetable accompaniment to a main dish of poultry or meat.

A few recipes that incorporate meat or poultry do so in only modest quantities. A little bacon, for instance, lends its distinctive flavor to a Mushroom and Chestnut Pate and a Stuffed Cabbage Terrine, which is further enriched by a wrapping of caul. A mushroom and parsley mousseline can be based on pounded chicken breast, although similar mousselines can be made with Whiting or other lean fish.

Since the vegetables take a centre stage, their quality is all important. Only vegetables in the peak of condition should be used and seasonal availability should be taken advantage of. To take full advantage of their colour, vegetables terrines and pates are best prepared on the day they are to be served. Those intended to be eaten cold should be wrapped closely in plastic film and kept in the refrigerator until shortly before serving. Large pates are best given about 390 minutes at a cool room temperature to take the chill out of them. Smaller items will rise to a temperature ideal for serving in about half the time.

Terrines For Dessert

Light, refreshing and pleasing to the eye, the terrines for dessert reflect a new and highly imaginative approach to the making of desserts. In this innovative style of cookery , spectacular sweets are created without undue reliance on the cream jug, the butter dish or the sugar bowl. The glorious desserts are as healthy as they are glamorous with little or no saturated fats, a modest calorie count and all the life sustaining nutrients that fresh fruit, nuts and low fat dairy products supply.

The foundations of a number of these preparations is a mousse of whisked egg whites combined with yoghurt or white cheese. The use of low fat cheeses or yoghurts as base, instead of double cream or egg yolk laden custards, make it possible to incorporate ingredients that would otherwise send fat and calorie count soaring. Another foundation much used, is fruit whether in the form of a puree or a clear gel. Fruit, indeed, is the chief source of inspiration for these terrines. These delicacies celebrate the best of the markets offerings whatever the time of the year. The soft fruits of summer can be put to good use in a Strawberry Cheese Loaf with its Cointreau spiked sauce and in a marbled blue berry dessert with its garnish of lightly caramelized berries. Yet there is no shortage of alternatives for winter, when dried and tropical fruits come into their own: A prune and Almond terrine with a mousse of yoghurt, honey and brandy soaked prunes and assemblage of exotic fruits in a Champagne jelly can be only 2 of many options.

A number of the moulds used can be first lined with either plastic film or Parchment paper. This will protect delicately flavoured ingredients from taking on a metallic taste if metal moulds are used and will make it easy to turn out the finished dish. To exploit the vibrant colours and flavours of fresh fruit, the terrines are best made on the day you intend to serve them. They should be assembled several hours in advance, cooled, chilled or set in the refrigerator or the freezer, as the recipe specifies, and served cold.

PATES FROM ROUND THE WORLD

It is all but impossible to make even an approximate list of all the pates that exist around the world. Regrettably, many will have to go unmentioned, for the subject is an infinitely wide area in the world of cooking. Pates are found in South America and Finland, in China and Italy and in Germany too. There are a multitude of varieties of pates; some are baked or fried, some are cooked in various other ways, by steaming or cooking in soup.

It is not known whether the Spanish conquistadors took the delicious pies known as empanadas with them to Latin America or they were a traditional Indian dish. But it is certain that these explorers succeeded in passing on some of their eating habit to the indigenous native population to produce a happy combination of native and Spanish cooking. There is no doubt about the Spanish origin of the Galican empanadas, a local specialty whose wonderful flavour long ago conquered the hearts of gourmets throughout the length and breadth of Spain. The golden brown pie crust and sometimes hojaldre, a puff pastry made with pork lard. They are almost always cooked in a paella pan and are usually eaten cold rather than hot. The empanadas eaten in Chile, Argentina and Uruguay do not vary greatly from that of Spain. They are among the most delicious specialty dishes of these countries and are usually served as an hors d’oeuvres, but are also popular as an entremets or as a snack to be taken on journeys and picnics. They are usually filled with meat, mixed with raisins, olives, onions and vegetables. They are often highly seasoned, with cayenne pepper for example, or chopped chillies. Empanadas are typical of many other types of national pates. Wherever they are made they have been adapted to suit the country and its local products. In northern Spain where the empanada originated recipes vary greatly from one region to another, or atleast the fillings vary greatly. Some contain pork or vegetables, or as in the case of empanada Gallega, chicken, onion and peppers. Or there are the fish and shellfish fillings found all along the Atlantic coast. They are usually baked to serve 4 to 6 and are a popular snack or lunch dish. But in South America empanadas are even more popular than in the mother country. The former Spanish colonies have introduced new varieties with new fillings and in new shapes. With a multitude of new products, vegetables and seasonings, each country with a Spanish population has produced its own specialties. Sometimes with extremely simple fillings such as vegetables or leftovers. But there are also extremely rich fillings, in Argentina for example, where best beef is seasoned with the best spices. Empanada de horno is one such specialty, whose filling includes hard boiled eggs and olives.

In Finland too they know how to bake an excellent meat filling in a pastry and they go by the almost unpronounceable name of lihamurekepiiras. To suite the country’s cold climate these are filling pies, with a lot of sour cream in the pastry. They are a close relative of the Russian pirozhki, and are usually served with more sour cream and cranberry sauce. But there are also a wide range of country style pates which are baked for particular occasions once a year, like the Pate de Paques du Berry, a French Easter pate with eggs baked into it, or the Torta Pasqualina, an Italian Easter favourite.

Rissoles are usually made with 10 cm rounds of either short crust or brioche pastry filled with a salpikon, a fine stew, or less with a forcemeat of some kind. And then comes the stage which gives rissoles their own individual character- they are deep fried in hot oil.

With pancake rolls, which can be enjoyed in Chinese restaurants throughout the world, we come to a close relative of the rissoles. Here a dough which may sound rather complicated at the beginning, is made into small, thin pancakes, filled with all kinds of meats and vegetables, rolled and fried in fat. Experts claim that the best pancake rolls are made in Fukien on the south coast of China, and here too the best soya sauce is prepared, the essential accompaniment to pancake rolls. The wide variety of dimsums, steamed envelopes of pastry, which are made throughout the country, make China a promised land for many who love fine food. There is nothing unusual in a Chinese restaurant offering 50 different sorts of these savoury titbits on the same menu. This is a totally new experience for Europeans, but something which the Chinese take for granted.

But if you ask a Swabian or an Italian what they would prefer, it would certainly not be dimsums. Their favourite pate type dish would be maultaschen, triangles of pasta dough, filled with minced meat or ham, onion, spinach and seasoning which are boiled in stock. For the Swabian atleast. Italians on the other hand, especially in Piedmont, swear by the ravioli, filled envelopes of dough which are eaten with tomato sauce and grated Parmesan cheese.

There are a thousand different pies which go under the name of Pirozhki in mother Russia. And a few more by the name of Coulibiac, the elegant French relation of the original Russian Kulebyaka. There are a wide variety of Russian pies both large and small. The smaller varieties- served as an hors d’oeuvre or with soups or cocktails- are called pirozhki(piroggi in Poland ). The larger pies are called pirog, which is Russian simply for tart. Savoury, well filled flans which are a meal in themselves. This include the great delicacy known as the kulebyaka. The filling may be cabbage, which is preferred hot in Russia- or for special occasions fish, such as fresh salmon, and a delicate fish veloute. Sometimes they are filled country style pasties made with yeast dough, or they may be made with a light brioche dough. They may be typically Russian or classically French with Russian origins.

Kulebyaka is one of the Russian national dishes, whereas the coulibiac is one of the best dishes that classic French cuisine has to offer. It is said to have been invented by the great Auguste Escoffier(1846-1935), based on an original Russian recipe, to honour a visit by the Russian ballet to Monaco. His was a real gourmet recipe which has remained a favourite over the years, made with salmon braised in wine, and the reduced stock mixed with fish veloute, egg yolk and seasoning and spread over the salmon, and left to cool. Escoffier than rolled brioche pastry until very thin to make a layer of fine pancakes. This was covered with a mixture of rice and hard boiled eggs in a chicken sauce topped with a layer of salmon and further layers of pancake and rice mixture. The whole thing was wrapped in pastry, shaped into a loaf, decorated with pastry and baked to make the coulibiac. It was eaten warm with melted butter poured into the opening in the top. It is a complicated, time consuming specialty admittedly, but worth the trouble.

But the Russian kulebyaka- which come in a host of variations- are less time consuming, for they are made without the pancakes. There are no hard and fast rules about kulebyaka, the main thing is that it must contain a lot of salmon. But there are also kulebyaka with cabbage filling, a special dish, despite their modest filling and unpretentious method of preparations, they have a delicious flavour.

The many pirozhki which abound in Russia should not be looked as the poor relation in the pie family. They amply repay close attention. Working from outside inwards: first of all they are generally pasties made of yeast or short crust pastry, less frequently with puff pastry. The filling may be rice, meat, fish, egg or cabbage or any other suitable type of stuffing. For example there are Tvorogom pirozhki which have a curd filling. Or there are the delicious Chebureki, fried pasties with a lamb filling. There are also Pyrishki- bite sized and delicious. They are usually made with a yeast dough, occasionally with puff pastry, but always filled with meat or mushrooms, onions, cabbage or curds- and served with a clear chicken soup. In fact many types of pirozhki are traditionally served with soup, with the filling echoing the main ingredient of the soup(e.g., fish soup with pirozhki with fish filling).

And then there are Pelemeni, boiled pasties, which are a cross between pasties, stuffed dumplings and ravioli. These are walnut sized meat balls wrapped in pastry. According to the original recipe they should be frozen, for they are Siberian pasties. They are cooked frozen in salted water. After draining they are sprinkled with chopped parsley or dill and eaten with sour cream or warm butter, and in many villages with a dash of vinegar too.

MICROWAVED TERRINES AND PATES

All the particular virtues and benefits of microwave cookery come to the fore in making of terrines and pates. The microwave oven reduces much of the time, effort required for the most labour intensive preparations, making it possible to produce delicacies worthy of a banquet table in a matter of minutes. Its ability to preserve and, indeed, intensify the full flavour and colour of fresh vegetables and fish, all within the briefest possible cooking time, makes the microwave oven an ideal medium for the repertoire of light, healthy dishes.

Only 9 minutes are required to cook a Middle Eastern style aubergine pate and it is unnecessary to salt the vegetable in advance to purge its acrid juices: the microwave process eradicates any bitterness while the vegetable cooks. Garlic lovers will appreciate the ease with which the aromatic cloves are softened and mellowed to provide the foundation for a creamy pate. Where visual appeal is important, colours remain bright and true.

Sauces thicken smoothly, with no need for constant stirring. Gelatineous stocks, made in advance and held in the refrigerator, can be melted down rapidly in the microwave oven for use in jellied dishes. Delicate meats such as chicken livers can be cooked gently and thoroughly in only a few minutes to provide the starting point for a warm, port spiked pate.

Microwave cookery takes place at such high speeds that mixtures in small, individual serving dishes seem to finish cooking almost before they have started. To avoid the risk of their contents boiling over, do not leave them unattended even for a few moments. When recipes call for a food to be covered with plastic film, be sure that only film labeled microwave- safe is used.

Tools and Techniques

There was a time when every kitchen, whether of a grand hotel or of a farm house, had a sufficiency of helping hands. Those days are over, the modern cook relies on food processors and microwave ovens instead of kitchen maids and turn- spits. The new style of cooking takes full advantage of this technology; Mousselines, for instance, or layered Terrines take minutes instead of hours they once required.

One great advantage for the hard pressed cook is that terrines and pates can often be assembled, cooked and served in the same container. Rectangular loaf tins or earthenware terrine dishes are classic, and easy to unmould, but not compulsory: Oval or Round containers, or a set of individual ramekins are equally suitable. Often the nature of the recipe will dictate the most appropriate serving dish. Earthenware is particularly suited to robust, country styled mixtures, while china, heart shapes or ramekins would be a happier choice for a delicate aspic or mousseline. For pates with a crust, a hinged metal container such as an eye shaped mould or a cake tin with a removable base, makes a convenient receptacle. When using metal pans and dishes, however, be sure to use only non-reactive materials, such as stainless steel that will not react chemically with vegetables, fruits and other ingredients to affect the colour or the flavour of the finished dish. Copper and cast iron, in particular are best avoided.

The gentle, even cooking required for most of these dishes is achieved most effectively in an easily improvised water bath called the Bain Marie. To assemble a water bath, set the filled terrine mould in a large, deep roasting pan, place the pan in a pre heated oven, and pour in enough boiling water, to come about 2/3rd of the way up the side of the mould. As the terrine bakes, heat will circulate gently around it, allowing all parts of the mixture to cook at the same rate. Once cooked, many terrines especially without a pastry case must be cooled to room temperature and chilled under weights to produce the desired firm and compact texture.

Pates that have been baked in a pastry line mould are not weighted. After baking, they are allowed to cool, then filled with a gelatinous stock through a hole made on the top of the pastry, and chilled until the jelly sets. It is vital to check that the baked crust is perfectly intact before adding the stock, to prevent leaks that ruin the whole composition. If the pastry does crack during baking or unmoulding, it is easily rescued: wrap the pate in plastic film, gently pushing the sides of the crack together, to seal the breach, and place the pie in the freezer for about 30 minutes, until it is well chilled but not frozen.

Chilling times for Pates and Terrines varies according to their content. Meat terrines are often allowed to mature for a day or 2 to develop their flavours. Although the relatively low fat content of the meat terrines precludes the longer keeping time allowed for traditional, high fat preparations. Fish and vegetable terrines however are generally given only sufficient time to chill and set.

To be enjoyed at their best, terrines should not be served immediately upon removal from the refrigerator. Instead they should be allowed to come upto a cool, rather than frigid temperature. A large meat terrine need about an hour at a cool room temperature, while small, single serving pates require only 15-20 minutes to take the chill off.

Jellied preparations are best served cold, since prolonged exposure to warm room temperatures will melt their surface, ruining the decorative sheen that renders them so attractive. Unmoulding jellies without mishap requires care. The simplest procedure is to dip the base and sides of the mould in hot water for a few seconds, place a serving plate on top, invert the mould and plate together and lift off the mould. Swift though it is, this treatment has one drawback: The outer surface of the jelly will melt slightly upon contact with heat. If an impeccably neat surface is required another method is to invert the terrine on a serving plate and wrap the mould in hot towels, changing them as they cool, until the container lifts neatly away leaving the jelly intact. At times it may be necessary to run a knife or a skewer along the sides of the jelly to prise it gently from its mould.

Those pates and terrines that look most dramatic in their uncut form should be brought to the table intact, and divided just before serving. Some very delicate mixtures are best served with a spoon. If one wishes to slice a terrine, a very sharp knife should be used for best results. Owners of electric carving knives may find these tools convenient for producing thin slices, but run the risk of marking the pates surface with the blade. PRESENTATION GUIDELINES

FACTORS TO BE KEPT IN MIND FOR PRESENTATION

· Portion size

· Appearance

· Colour

· Flavour

· Height

· Texture

· Cooking methods

· Practicality

· Less handling of the food

· Food should not be masked

· Ease of service

· Ensuring freshness of food

· Edible garnishes

· Simple plate design

· Different shapes- symmetrical and asymmetrical

PLATE AND PLATTER PRESENTATION CHECKLIST

ITEMS- the choice of items will be based on seasonal availability, practicality, portion size, number of items on the plate, traditional and non traditional food.

FLAVOUR- this is the single most important factor. Through the use of fresh, compatible flavours the presentation will be enhanced naturally.

COLOUR- use a combination of earth tones and naturally vibrant colours. Usually compatible flavours natural provide an exciting combination of colour.

TEXTURE- by varying cooking methods and cutting of vegetables, a variety of texture will be achieved.

HEIGHT- use the natural shape of food to provide varied but not extreme height. This will enhance the flow.

SHAPE- avoid contrived food shapes. This can be accomplished by using a combination of sliced, moulded, loose and whole food items.