Pate Recipes

Steps:

• Combine the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor and process a few seconds to mix. Quarter the 3/4 stick of butter lengthwise and cut into 1/4-inch pieces. Scatter the cubes of butter evenly over the flour. Pulse the machine until the butter pieces are about the size of lentils.
• Place half the ice water in the bottom of a bowl. Turn the flour/butter mixture onto it and pour the remaining water evenly over the top. Using a large rubber spatula, fold the mixture until it is evenly moistened. Squeeze it; it should hold together. If not, sprinkle in a little more water and gently mix.
• Turn the mixture out on the table and quickly frisage: using the palm of your hand, push sections of the dough away from you against the table. Gather the dough together and frisage any portions that were missed. Form the mass into whatever shape you will be rolling out (ie, disk for round, cylinder for rectangle), and wrap in plastic wrap. Chill for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days. Dough can be frozen for up to 3 months.

Steps:

• For the dough: Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and vegetable shortening together in a bowl using your hands or a pastry blender. Add up to 1 cup water, a little at a time, until dough pulls away from the bowl. Let dough rest in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes or up to overnight (see Cook's Note).
• For the filling: Meanwhile, add pickle juice, if using, to a 6-quart pot on medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, using a wooden spoon or spatula to crumble ground beef until fine. As meat is browning, add parsley, green onions, tomatoes, garlic, onions, hot pepper, sweet pepper, bell pepper, thyme, salt and black pepper. Cook until all meat is brown, approximately 5 minutes.
• Remove meat mixture to a colander to drain excess oil. Let sit approximately 5 minutes.
• Return pot to medium heat. Add tomato paste and 1/4 cup water. Stir to thin tomato paste. Add drained meat mixture back to the pot. Mix in tomato paste mixture. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and let cool until meat is room temperature.
• Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a 6-quart cast-iron Dutch oven.
• Cut a 2 1/2-inch piece of dough from the rested dough. Flatten into an approximate 3 1/2-inch disc using your fingers. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough to 1/8- to 3/16-inch-thick by 7 inches in diameter.
• Fill the dough with 1/3 cup to 1/2 cup filling. Fold over and press with a 6-inch bowl or empanada press to seal the edges. Dust off excess flour, and gently place in the hot oil. Wait for pate to rise to the top of the oil, then flip it over. Let cook for about 1 minute, then flip again.
• Continue cooking and flipping every minute until the pate is golden brown on both sides, 5 to 6 minutes. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel on a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough and filling.

Steps:

• Bring butter, sugar, salt, and 1 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Using a wooden spoon, quickly stir in flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until mixture pulls away from sides and a film forms on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes.
• Transfer to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until slightly cooled, about 1 minute. Raise speed to medium; add whole eggs, 1 at a time, until a soft peak forms when batter is touched with your finger. If peak does not form, lightly beat remaining egg white, and mix it into batter a little at a time until it does.

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, combine water, chicken livers, and sliced onion. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer for about 20 minutes, or until liver is cooked and tender. Remove from heat, drain, and discard onions. Also remove and discard any hard portions of the liver.
• Place cooked livers in a blender or food processor, and process until smooth. Add chopped onion, sherry, butter or margarine, salt, black pepper, and mace; pulse to blend. With hands lightly greased, form pate mixture into a mound, and place on a serving platter. Chill for 1 hour before serving.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, heat 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 10 minutes. Add carrot, thyme, and cayenne and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until carrot is tender, 5 minutes. (If mixture is dry or begins to overbrown, add up to 2 tablespoons water.) Transfer mixture to a food processor.
• Return skillet to medium-high and add remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons butter and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Pat livers dry with paper towels. Season livers with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Cook until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 6 minutes. Transfer livers to processor and pulse, scraping down sides as needed, until mixture is mostly smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper and let cool. Transfer pate to a small bowl and serve at room temperature with toasts or crackers.

Steps:

• Combine chicken (which has been finely chopped), Neufchatel, onion, sherry, mayonnaise, lemon juice, hot sauce, and nutmeg in container of electric blender; process until smooth.
• Transfer mixture to a 2 cup mold coated with cooking spray (Pam).
• Cover, and chill overnight.
• Unmold onto a serving plate.
• Sprinkle with paprika.
• Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired.
• Serve with Melba toast rounds or unsalted crackers.