COUNTRY PATE

Country Pate, the French Pâté de Campagne, is a delicious, coarse, meaty treat.

If you are mincing your own meats, chop the pork, liver and fat into chunks that will fit into your mincer. You need to use the coarse plate to mince it all together. It's a good idea to boil the brandy for a minute or two to get rid of the alcohol (seems a shame, I know, but the flavour can be quite vicious if you don't). Finely chop the onion and garlic, and mix everything but the bacon together in a bowl.

Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F). Line a non-stick loaf tin with the bacon, and spoon in the paté mixture. Fold the ends of the bacon over the top. Tightly wrap the whole thing in aluminium foil and place it in a roasting tin. Pour boiling water into the tin up to about two-thirds the height of the terrine. Put everything in the oven for 70 minutes. the paté is done when the internal temperature reaches 65°C (150°F).

Place some heavy objects on top of the terrine and refrigerate for at least 12 hours. Remove the foil wrapping, and tip the paté out onto a plate. You could start eating it at this point, but it definitely improves in flavour after a couple of days.