#CookForJulia French-Style Country Pâté for #SundaySupper

When I list my heroes, Julia Child is at the top. So I was thrilled to discover the #SundaySupper group of bloggers planned to honor her today. I joined the group because I believe in the importance of sitting down to the dinner table as a family, however your family is designed. That my first post features Julia and is part of the PBS Food #CookForJulia celebration just adds to the fun! And considering all of the stories told about her dinner gatherings in the kitchen, these posts seem more than appropriate!

Yes, I admire Julia’s cooking skills and ability to teach those skills to others, but I most admire her quest to find her talent at the age of 37 and the passion she gave to the pursuit once she found her life’s calling. Her journey parallels my own somewhat, since I was near that age when my first newspaper article was published. And like her husband, Paul, I also have a wonderful love who supports my own pursuit of my life’s passion. (I wrote a great deal about my admiration for Julia on her birthday last year. You can read it here.)

One summer a couple of years ago when I was a food reporter in New Hampshire, the chef/owner of a Manchester restaurant invited me to be a celebrity chef for one night to raise money for the local food bank. Since I admire Julia, and the Julie & Julia movie was about to open, the chef and I planned a Julia Child-inspired menu. I even helped prepare and serve the dishes.

It was a hot summer evening, but everyone had a great time and the food was wonderful. I was so busy that I only got a taste of each dish, but the one I remember the most was the French-Style Country Pâté, a recipe we took right out of Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom.

The pâté has ingredients that are easy to find at most grocery stores, and it is simple to make. However, it does take time to bake, and it tastes best if you eat it a day or two after it’s made. So plan ahead. The ingredients for the recipe below came right from Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom, but I used two of her other books to come up with the proper pâté-making technique.

What’s wonderful about this pâté is it not only makes a lovely starter to a meal, but it also can be a meal in itself. Just add some olives, goat cheese, cherry tomatoes and bread, and you have an elegant, light summer supper!

French-Style Country Pâté

Adapted from Julia’s Kitchen Wisdom and From Juila Child’s Kitchen, by Julia Child; and Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck.

2/3 cups minced onions

2 tablespoons butter
1 1/4 pound ground pork
1/2 pound chicken livers
3/4 pound ground chicken
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
1 egg
1/3 cup goat cheese
1 medium garlic clove, finely minced
3 tablespoons cognac
1 tablespoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter the inside of a 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan and set aside.

Saute the onions in the butter until they are translucent and tender. Set aside to cool. Place the chicken livers into a food processor and pulse until well ground.

In a large bowl, place all of the ingredients, including the onions and chicken livers, and mix together until all of the ingredients are well incorporated. Turn the mixture into the loaf pan and pack well. Cover the pan with a piece of waxed paper and foil. Set the loaf pan into another larger pan. Pour boiling water into the larger pan, and then bake for 1 1/4 to 2 hours, or until the juices are a clear pale yellow and the internal temperature reaches 170 degrees F. (Mine took 2 hours.)

Remove the loaf pan from the larger water bath. Pour out the water from the larger pan and then set the loaf pan back in. Place a board or another pan directly on top of the covered pâté, and then weigh it down with a 5-pound weight. (Canned goods worked for me.) Be careful because some of the juices may spill out of the loaf pan, but this step is necessary to create a compact and dense pâté. Let the pâté sit at room temperature until it cools, and then place it, weights and all, into the refrigerator to chill.

Allow the pâté to chill for at least a day before serving to develop the flavor.

Be sure to check out my fellow #SundaySupper bloggers to see what they created in honor of Ms. Child. And don’t forget to join us at 7:00 pm ET for our live chat on Twitter. Just use the hashtag #Sundaysupper or Tweetchat. Plus we would love to feature your recipes on our #sundaysupper pinterest board and share them with all of our followers.

#CookForJulia Breakfast
Râpée Morvandelle by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Croissants by Cookistry
Cheese and Bacon Quiche by Tora’s Real Food

#CookForJulia Lunch
Tuna Salad Nicoise by Magnolia Days
Blood Orange, Walnut, and Rocket Salad by Granny’s Down Home Southern Cooking
Croque Monsieur by Webicurean
Spinach and Cream Cheese Pancakes by Happy Baking Days
Julia’s Chicken Salad by My Trials in the Kitchen
Pissaladière Niçoise (Onion Tart with Anchovies and Black Olives) by The Wimpy Vegetarian
Provencal Tomato Quiche by Are you hungry?
Quiche Lorraine Spoon and Saucer
Potato and Onion Soup (Potage Parmentier) by Shockingly Delicious

#CookForJulia Dinner
Bouillabaisse by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Boeuf Bourguignon by Chelsea’s Culinary Indulgence
Orecchiette Con Broccoli Di Rape and Sausages by Doggie at the Dinner Table
Boeuf Bourguignon by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Veal Stew with Onions and Mushrooms with Baked Cucumbers and Boiled Potatoes (Blanquette de veau a l’ancienne with concombres au buerre) by Kimchi Mom
Salmon en Papillote by Girlichef
Poached salmon with cucumber sauce by Katherine Martinelli
Lobster Souffle and Deviled Chicken- Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Roasted Chicken with Julia’s Mustard Marinade by The Meltaways
Wild Mushroom and Herb Stuffed Chicken- Mama Mommy Mom
Puree of White Beans with Garlic and Herbs (Brandade á la Soissonaise) Avocado Pesto
Poulet au Porto by Family Foodie

#CookForJulia Sides
Hollondaise over Blanched Asparagus by The Little Ferraro Kitchen
Scalloped Potatoes with Milk, Cheese, and Garlic (Gratin Dauphinois) by Home Cooking Memories
Ratatouille by Basic N Delicious
French-style country pate by There and Back Again
White Bean Dip with Homemade Tortilla Chips Momma’s Meals
Oeufs à la Diable by What Smells So Good?
Soubise by The Weekend Gourmet
Ratatouille by Cupcakes and Kale Chips

#CookForJulia Desserts
Cream Cheese and Lemon Flan by Juanita’s Cocina
Strawberry Sherbert in Cooky Cups by Cravings of a Lunatic
Creme Brulee by Wine Everyday
Mousseline Au Chocolat by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Peach Tarte Tatin by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Cinnamon Toast Flan by Vintage Kitchen Notes
Dark Chocolate Crepes by Family Spice
Crepes Fines Sucrees by Mangoes and Chutney
Pommes Rosemarie:Apples Rosie The Daily Dish Recipes
Espresso Soufflé by Chocolate Moosey
Best Ever Brownies by In the Kitchen with Audrey
Orange-Almond Jelly Roll Cake by Mrs. Mama Hen
Orange Spongecake Cupcakes by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Orange Mousse with Greek Yogurt by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Frozen Chocolate Mousse by Big Bear’s Wife

Wine Pairings: Relishing Food and Wine; Thanks to Julia Child! by ENOFYLZ