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Pâté de Pâques berrichon
Pork, veal and egg pastry loaf
Pâté de Pâques: Berry's Easter puff-pastry loaf of pork, veal and whole eggs
In the Berry region of central France (around Bourges and Châteauroux), Easter Sunday lunch begins with pâté de Pâques: a long loaf of puff pastry filled with seasoned minced pork and veal around a row of whole hard-boiled eggs, so every slice shows a golden yolk in the middle. It is eaten warm or cold with a green salad. Some cooks marinate the meat in white wine or Cognac; this recipe uses no alcohol. Chef's tip: cut a chimney in the top crust and keep it open with a roll of card, so steam escapes and the pastry stays crisp.
- Total time
- 110 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 8
Ingredients
For the filling
- 14 oz minced pork
- 10 ½ oz minced veal or more pork
- 2 shallotsfinely chopped
- 2 cloves garliccrushed
- 1 handful parsleychopped
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 egg
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
For the pâté
- 1 ⅜ lb ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry2 sheets
- 5 hard-boiled eggspeeled
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Mix 14 oz minced pork, 10 ½ oz minced veal or more pork, 2 shallots, 2 cloves garlic, 1 handful parsley, ½ tsp dried thyme, ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 1 egg, 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper thoroughly with your hands. Fry a small piece to taste for seasoning.
Step 2: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan). Lay one sheet of 1 ⅜ lb ready-rolled all-butter puff pastry on a lined tray.
Step 3: Spread half the meat down the middle in a 10 cm-wide strip, leaving a 3 cm border. Lay 5 hard-boiled eggs end to end on top and cover with the rest of the meat, pressing it into a neat loaf.
10 minStep 4: Brush the border with 1 egg yolk, cover with the second sheet, press the edges to seal and trim. Brush all over with egg wash, score a pattern, and cut a hole in the top with a rolled card chimney.
Step 5: Bake for 15 minutes, then lower to 350°F (325°F fan) and bake for 50–55 minutes more, until deep golden and a thermometer through the chimney into the meat reads 160°F. A common mistake is a soggy base: bake on a preheated tray.
70 minStep 6: Rest for 15 minutes before slicing, or cool and serve cold.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 26 g
- Carbs
- 26 g
- Fat
- 39 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pâté de Pâques berrichon take?
- About 110 minutes in total: 40 minutes to prepare and 70 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 8 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of shallots?
- Half an onion per 2 shallots.
- What can I use instead of garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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