Country Pate (Pate de Campagne)

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Ingredients:

8 ounces bacon slices

12 ounces ground lean pork

8 ounces boneless chicken thigh meat, chopped finely

8 ounces chicken livers, chopped finely

4 bay leaves

2 shallots, chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon mixed whole peppercorns

1 tablespoon fresh chopped thyme

1 tablespoon fresh chopped sage

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

3 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

Thin the bacon by pressing it out on a board with a round-bladed knife. Lay the four bay leaves along the bottom of a lidded terrine dish, then line the bottom and sides with the bacon slices positioned side by side. Leave a little of the bacon ends overhanging the sides of the dish; reserve any extra bacon.

Preheat oven to 300°F. Put the pork, chicken, and chicken livers into a bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Stir together until thoroughly combined. Transfer the mixture to the bacon-lined dish, leveling the top. Use the overhanging ends of bacon and any reserved bacon to enclose the paté. Put the lid on. Stand the terrine dish in a roasting pan, and add enough water into the roasting pan to come up halfway the sides of the dish (this is called a bain-marie, or water bath).

Bake for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, or until the juices in the middle of the pate run clear when pierced with a skewer or toothpick.

Remove the terrine dish from the roasting pan and set aside to cool completely before un-molding. Leave the lid on as the paté cools. Unmold into a large serving dish, trimming away any meat solids that have escaped. Cut into even slices with a very sharp knife. Makes 12-14 slices.