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Wild Game Masterclass with Mike Robinson

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Season 1 Episode 5

Venison Pâté En Croûte

Season 1 Episode 5

Wild Venison Paté en Croute Recipe

Ok – this is a big one, but it is incredibly impressive, satisfying and cuts into at least 20 good slices, and will last 10 days in the fridge. It also uses junky cuts of venison so no need to use those prime backstraps and hams. It very easy to do, just follow the steps and watch the masterclass a couple of times.

Yields: 20 Slices

Wild Venison Paté en Croute Recipe

Ingredients

1 pound venison shoulder
1 pound pork belly, diced
150 grams bacon, diced
3 ounces, chilled lardo (cured pork back fat), finely diced
5 ounces of chicken livers
2 cloves of garlic
Pinch of cove
Pinch of black peppercorns
Pinch of allspice
Juniper
Sprig of rosemary
1/4 ounce salt
4 ounces toasted walnuts
4 ounces dried diced apricots

Pastry Ingredients

18 ounces plain flour
9 ounces unsalted chilled butter, cut into cubes
2 chilled eggs
2 ounces iced water

Red Wine Jelly Ingredients:

2 leaves gelatine
½ bottle red wine
7 ounces beef or venison stock
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar.
Pinch of salt

Pickle Ingredients

1 cauliflower
4 zucchini
2 onions
6 carrots
4 cloves of garlic
25 ounces malt vinegar
28 ounces soft brown sugar
Teaspoon mustard powders
Teaspoon cayenne
Teaspoon of salt
1 orange
1 lemon
Big lump of ginger

Directions

Start with the meat mix. In a grinder grind the venison and pork and chicken livers. Alternate the meats so they go through mixed up evenly. Use a medium grinding plate.
Toast the cloves, allspice and peppercorns in a pan then pound fine in a pestle and mortar. Finely grate 2 cloves of garlic. Finely chop a tablespoon of fresh rosemary.
Add the small cut bacon, the diced lardo, and the spices and nuts. Mix well by hand and chill in the fridge. At this point you have an amazing Pate and could just cook it as normal – it will be amazing. But when En Croute its next level ….
Now make and roll out the pastry as in the film. Mix the flour and cold butter in a mixer until a fine crumb consistency is achieved. Now add the egg and water mix with a pinch of salt and mix briefly to bring it all together. Without using flour make the pastry into a ball then wrap in film and chill. After 30 minutes roll out as per the film. (remember to first butter and line the tin with film. )
Fill the pastry with mix – pack it in well so that it comes to slightly above the top. Put the pastry lid on and crimp with eggwash. Make the holes for the vents and the foil tubes. Cut 3 disks with holes for each vent as in the masterclass. (a set of pastry cutters is a cheap but essential investment)
Eggwash well and leave in the fridge for 10 minutes, then eggwash again before baking at 18 degrees celsius/400 degrees fahrenheit for 1 hour. Allow to cool, then leave the pate in the fridge overnight. This will create the space for the jelly.
Make the jelly: Bloom the gelatine in cold water for 20 mins, then reduce ½ bottle of red wine to 7 fluid ounces and add the same amount of beef or venison broth or stock. Add the ½ tablespoon red wine vinegar and the gelatine and allow to cool a little. Pour half this into the pate through the spouts, and fridge for 2 hours. Now fill the pate with the rest to the top of the pastry rings. Allow to set for a good period ( ideally overnight). To remove, blowtorch the tin and lift out the pate.
Finally make some pickle – chop up cauliflower, onion, zucchini, garlic and lemon and orange zest. Add the juice of both to a pan with 700 milliliters of malt vinegar and 800 grams of soft brown sugar. Add a teaspoon of mustard powder, cayenne, salt and a big lump of grated ginger. Cook on a low heat for 2 hours then jar. It will last forever.