How ICE’s Director of Culinary Affairs Celebrates Bastille Day

Bastille Day is celebrated every year on July 14th, marking the anniversary of the storming of the Bastille, a state prison, in 1789. The historic day marked the beginning of the French Revolution and began the overturn of the monarchy. It was made an official holiday in 1880.

Today, Bastille Day continues to be a celebration of freedom. According to Chef Hervé Malivert, ICE’s Director of Culinary Affairs, celebrating Bastille Day is similar to celebrating the Fourth of July in the United States. 

In France, the day is often commemorated with parades, dancing, fireworks and a day of relaxation with friends and family. New Yorkers have the opportunity to partake in pétanque tournaments at local French restaurants, as well as attend an entire Bastille Day festival in Central Park.

For le quatorze juillet, (which translates to "July 14th") Chef Hervé created his own rendition of pâté en croûte, which is a combination of savory forcemeat and decorative dough. The classic dish is considered a staple recipe in France and has been around since the Medieval era.

The traditional French pâté is made from pork and veal, but alternate recipes use other meats as well - namely, chicken. The meat is cut into thin strips and marinated, and then covered in a layer of pastry crust. While the outside of the pâté is breaded and crusty, the inside is moist and savory. The pâté is then chilled before serving.

For Chef Hervé, teaching the the technique and history of pâté en croûte to students is a very important part of learning the craft of making charcuteries. Mastering the craft of making pâté en croûte can take years.

While there are various adaptations of pâté en croûte, try your hand at Chef Hervé’s traditional recipe this Bastille Day.

Recipe

Pâté en Croûte

Yields 1

Ingredients

For the Dough:

• 90 grams water
• 10 grams white wine vinegar
• 315 unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 14 grams kosher salt
• 4 grams sugar
• 30 grams egg
• 350 grams all-purpose flour
• 175 grams potato starch

For the Pâté en Croûte:

• 500 grams pork shoulder
• 500 grams boneless duck breast
• 500 grams fat back
• 250 grams liver, trimmed 
• 1 shallot, minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced 
• 1 sprig of fresh thyme, leaves removed
• 2 ounces Armagnac 
• 4 grams TCM (curing salt) 
• 14 grams kosher salt
• 4 grams quatre épices
• 1½ ounces old baguette, crust removed and cut into cubes
• 4 ounces milk
• 1 whole egg
• Whole or coarsely chopped nuts, for garnish
• Cubes of marinated foie gras, for garnish
• Cubes of marinated duck breast, for garnish

For the Gelée:

• 1 kilogram duck neck (no fat)
• 100 grams carrot
• 100 grams leek, white part only
• 1 onion brulée**
• 3 liters water 
• 1 bouquet garni 
• 150 grams egg white
• 200 grams lean ground turkey breast 
• 400 milliliters Port wine 
• 120 grams gelatin leaves 

For Assembly: 

• 1 pâté en croûte mold, chilled

Directions

For the Dough:

1. In a food processor, pulse the water, egg, white wine vinegar, sugar and salt. Add butter and continue pulse more. Add the flour and potato starch and pulse until dough forms. Remove from food processor and knead until well-combined. Roll into a ball, cover in plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator.

For the Pâté en Croûte:

1. Combine the pork cubes, rabbit, fatback and liver in a bowl and mix well; transfer to a plastic bag. Press out as much air as possible and place in an ice bath to chill.
2. While the meat chills, sauté the shallots, garlic and thyme leaves in butter until tender. Add water as needed to keep the mixture from browning. When the onions and garlic are tender, deglaze with Armagnac and reduce. Chill the mixture completely.
3. Combine the bread and milk in a bowl and set aside to soften. Add the egg and mix well.
4. Fold the chilled shallot mixture into the meat. Progressively grind the entire mixture, then transfer to a mixer bowl and add TCM, salt and quatre épices, and mixed well for 1 minute.
5. Add the bread mixture and mix with paddle attachment for another minute, fold in the garnishes. Cook a small piece of the ground mixture and taste for seasoning. Reserve in refrigerator.

For the Gelée:

1. In a small saucepan, reduce the port win by half; reserve.
2. In a small bowl, bloom gelatin in cold water.
3. In a large saucepot, combine the duck neck and water and bring to a simmer, skimming fat off the top.
4. Add the carrots, leeks and onion brûlée, and simmer for 3 hours, making sure it doesn't reduce too much; strain.
5. In a bowl, beat the egg white; add the ground turkey.
6. Pour ground turkey mixture (the raft) into the cooled broth mix quickly and slowly bring to a simmer.
7. When the raft forms, make a chimney by gently making a hole in the center, and let simmer for 30 minutes, basting the raft occasionally. Turn off the heat and strain the consommé by ladling the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined chinois.
8. Add the reduced Port wine and taste for seasoning; add gelatin, chill and reserve for use.

For Assembly and Serving:

1. Preheat oven to 350˚F.
2. Remove the pâté en croûte mold from the refrigerator.
3. Roll out dough to 1/2"-thickness; line mold with reserved dough.
4. Gently fill out the mold with the forcemeat, filling all the way up. 
5. Seal properly with more dough and decorate as you wish.
6. Using three pastry tips, make three chimneys across the top to release steam. 
7. Transfer to oven and cook until internal temperature of 150°F.
8. Remove from the oven, let cool and refrigerate overnight.
9. The next day, melt the gelée and pour into the chimneys and let set for 1 hour. 
10. Unmold and serve immediately.