Recipe of the month: Paté de Pâques

This recipe originates in the tradition, in certain parts of France, that eggs were forbidden during Lent. So, as the hens, being heathen, didn't know to stop laying, to avoid wasting the eggs they were hard boiled and set aside to be used in this Easter dish. It is similar to the British Gala Pie, but I haven't been able to find out if the Brit version has similar religious origins!

If you don't want to make your own pastry, ready rolled shortcrust is fine!

Ingredients:

50 gr of flour

75 gr of butter

50 ml of water

100 gr of onions

4 sprigs of flat parsley

150 gr of smoked serrano/parma ham

700 gr of minced pork

1 egg

30 ml of cognac (or decent brandy)

1 teaspoon ground pepper

15 grams of salt

5 hard boiled eggs 

Method

Preheat oven to 160o

Put the flour, butter, water, a pinch of salt and in a mixing bowl and work into a stiff dough. Turn out onto a floured board and cover with clingfilm/saran wrap. Leave to chill in fridge. 

Roughly chop onions and parsley in a food processor. Set aside. Roughly chop the smoked ham in food processor. Set aside.

Put pork, ham, onions/parsley, and egg, cognac, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix thoroughly. 

Roll out the pastry in a rectangle (or take ready rolled pastry out of refrigerator!). 

Butter a 24cm loaf tin and line with pastry. 

Fill 1/3 of the depth of the tin with the pork mixture. Place the hardboiled eggs in a line along the length of the tin, pressing into the mix. 

Cover the eggs with the rest of the pork mix. 

Use the remainder of the pastry to cover the pork, crimping the edges to seal the pie. Use any remaining pastry for Easter themed decoration! Brush the pastry with beaten egg.

Bake at 160o for 90 minutes. 

Allow to cool, then cut into slices. Serve with pickles and salad as a starter or a light meal.