Rustic French pork and chicken paté

Rustic French pork and chicken paté [The New York Times]

Time: About 2 hours

1 3/4 pounds boneless pork shoulder, not too lean

3/4 pound boneless chicken thighs

3 ounces pancetta or unsmoked bacon, sliced thick

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon finely grated garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh sage

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Cognac or other brandy

1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns

1/4 teaspoon coriander seeds

1/8 teaspoon fennel seeds

4 cloves

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

Pinch cinnamon

Pinch cayenne

1 bay leaf.

1. Make sure the meat is quite cold, then cut it in 1-inch strips. Grind ? of the pork shoulder and chicken, plus half the pancetta, to a medium grind. (Or have your butcher do the grinding for you.)

2. Grind the remaining pork, chicken and pancetta to a coarse grind, or cut by hand with a sharp knife into small cubes about 1/8 inch.

3. Combine all the meat in a large bowl. Add the salt, garlic, sage and thyme. Pour the wine and Cognac over it, then knead seasonings into the mixture with a wooden spoon, your hands or the paddle attachment of a stand mixer.

4. In a spice mill or mortar, grind the peppercorns, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves to a fine powder. Add to the mixture, along with nutmeg, cinnamon and cayenne. Mix again.

5. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pat the seasoned paté mixture into a 2 1/2-quart loaf pan. Press the bay leaf on the surface, then cover the pan tightly with foil. (Refrigerate overnight if desired; bring to room temperature before baking.) Place in a deep-sided roasting pan and add hot water to reach half way up the dish. Bake on the middle shelf for about an hour, or until the internal temperature of the paté is 160 degrees.

6. Carefully remove from the oven and cool in the loaf pan, then wrap well and refrigerate for at least 24 hours before serving. Keeps a week or more.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings.