This month, Jérôme is keen to share his favourite recipes
I have recently had some recipes published in a new book, Relish North East and Yorkshire, a superb collection of recipes from chefs throughout the region.
People are often surprised to find that chefs are happy to reveal their recipes, particularly those that are close to our hearts, but these recipes cannot be kept secret or they will die with us. The guys in the kitchen here at Bouchon are the future, and I would enjoy nothing more than visiting their restaurants in future and finding the Pate de Campagne we serve here on their own menus.
This recipe is more than 100 years old; I learned it at the restaurant where I trained, and it has been passed through generations of chefs, as a treasure to be created again and again, which is why I am offering it to you here, so you can try it at home.
I have also been talking to our suppliers this week; a crucial part of every chef’s job. It is so difficult now to find really good, family-run suppliers; those smaller companies where the owners know everything about their produce.
I don’t want to work with the giants of the industry; it is the small producers who give us the best produce, and that allows us to tell our customers so much more about the food on their plates.
We are not magicians. If a supplier brings us a bad product, we cannot turn it into an amazing dish; so the supplier, and the consistency of their product, is key. Remember this when you make our Pate de Campagne!
PATE DE CAMPAGNE
SERVES 16
Ingredients
1.5kg pork throat
1kg belly pork
50g salt
1 tsp white pepper (ground)
5 shallots
¼ bunch flat-leaf parsley
3 eggs (inc 1 for egg wash)
300g crépinette (small, flattened sausage)
3 bay leaves
Method
Mince the pork throat and belly, shallots and flat-leaf parsley together. Add the salt, pepper and two eggs. Mix well. Lay the crépinette inside a cast iron terrine mould – this will help the mix hold together during cooking. Add the mince, making sure you put a large amount in the terrine as it will shrink while cooking. For presentation, as well as taste, lay the three bay leaves nicely on top of the terrine prior to cooking.
Egg wash the top of the terrine in order to get a nice, shiny finish. Use a bain-marie – an ovenproof container (large enough to hold the terrine) with water – and cook the terrine at 180C/Gas 4 for approximately 1½ hours. Allow the terrine to cool down then refrigerate.
This is best served at room temperature with toasted bread, small cornichons (gherkins) and, most importantly, a nice glass of red wine, relatively light to medium. It’s my taste of home. Bon appétit!
From Relish North East and Yorkshire £20 at www.relishpublications.co.uk
