Pâté

Pâté ( , , ) is a forcemeat. Originally, the dish was cooked in a pastry case and called pâté en croute; in more recent times it is more usually cooked without pastry in a terrine, and called or simply . Various ingredients are used, which may include meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat; vegetables; herbs; spices; wine; and brandy.

History and etymology Both the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française and the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) date the term back to the 12th century. The former gives the original meaning as a "culinary preparation consisting of minced meat or fish surrounded by dough and baked in the oven";"Pâté, nom masculin", Dictionnaire de l'Académie française. Retrieved 7 March 2024 the OED's definition is "a pie or pastry usually filled with finely minced meat, fish, vegetables, etc." The French words (pastry) and are both derived from the Latin meaning paste or dough (as is the English "pastry").Davidson, p. 229 By the 19th century the pastry case was often dispensed with. According to Larousse Gastronomique, when there is a pastry case the dish is and when there is not, and the mixture is cooked in a dish (called a ), it is , often abbreviated to or , terms used interchangeably in both French and English usage.Beullac, p. 922 A patty is a similar dish, and its name comes from a 19th-century English corruption of the French word pâté.

Pâté was known to the Romans, who generally made it with pork, although other main ingredients might include marinated and spiced birds' tongues. In the Middle Ages, there were numerous recipes for (meatspork, poultry, game or fish cooked in pastry).

Tinned pâté, being shelf-stable, has sometimes been included in military rations, for, among others, the French Armed Forces, whose rations have included tinned pâté for more than 100 years.

Varieties There are numerous varieties of French pâtés or terrines, including: Type and main ingredientsFrench name calves' sweetbreads terrine Beullac, p. 1254 game pâté David (2010), p. 198 duck or goose liver pâté (foie gras) Brazier, p. 63 ham and cauliflower terrine Roux, p. 41 ham, pork and veal terrine David (1999 ), p. 506 hare terrine David (1999 ), p. 432 mushroom pâté Brazier, p. 85 partridge terrine pheasant terrine Beullac, pp. 1294–1295 pigeon terrine David (1999 ), p. 430 pork and game terrine David (2010), p. 199 pork and liver pâté David (2010), p. 197 quail terrine rabbit terrine David (1999 ), p. 429 truffled pâte of duck David (2010), p. 200 turbot and salmon terrine with lobster vegetable terrine venison liver pâté Brazier, p. 88

Parfait Chicken liver is a subtype of pâté. Instead of first cooking the livers in butter, for a they are initially puréed when raw and then passed through a sieve or put in a blender before being mixed with, typically, eggs, fortified wine, shallots, thyme, garlic and cognac and cooked in a until set. This allows for a smoother texture.Blanc, Raymond, "Chicken liver parfait", BBC. Retrieved 14 October 2024

Other countries In Central and Eastern Europe, pâté from poultry liver is very popular and it is commonly known as pashtet (, "pâté", , , ). Liver from other animals (such as cow) can also be used. The liver is first cooked (boiled or fried) and mixed with butter or fat and seasonings such as fresh or fried onions, carrots, spices, and herbs. It can be further cooked (usually baked), but most often used without any other preparation. In Russia, the pâté is served on a plate or in a bowl, and is typically moulded into the shapes of animals, such as hedgehogs.Goldstein, p. 33

In Ashkenazi Jewish cuisine, a similar recipe is known as chopped liver, with schmaltz used instead of butter and hard-boiled eggs frequently added. Another common type of pâté in Jewish cuisine, also popular in Russia and Ukraine, is vorschmack, or gehakte herring (chopped herring).В. В. Похлебкин. Национальные кухни наших народов. Москва, изд. Пищевая пром-сть, 1980. Еврейская кухня . (William Pokhlyobkin. The Ethnic Cuisines of our Peoples. Moscow, Food Industry publishing house, 1980; Russian) In Vietnamese cuisine, pâté is commonly used on baguette-type sandwiches.

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