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Pâté créole
Pork and chicken pie
Pâté kréol: Réunion's festive shortcrust pie of spiced pork and chicken
Christmas Eve, New Year and big christenings in Réunion are not complete without a pâté créole, a deep, golden shortcrust pie filled with pork and chicken that have spent a night soaking up garlic, ginger, thyme, parsley and four-spice. It bakes slowly so the meat cooks in its own juices into a tender, fragrant filling that slices neatly, and it is served warm or at room temperature with a green salad. Families often order one from the local baker or traiteur, but it is a satisfying weekend project at home. Because the filling goes in raw, the usual mistake is cutting the meat too large and taking the pie out too early; dice it small and check the centre with a thermometer. Chef's tip: keep a little hole in the middle of the lid; it lets steam escape so the crust stays crisp, and it is exactly where the thermometer goes.
- Total time
- 180 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the filling
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless pork shouldercut into 1.5 cm dice
- 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighsskinned, cut into 1.5 cm dice
- 2 onionsfinely chopped
- 5 cloves garliccrushed
- ⅔ oz fresh gingergrated
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 handful flat-leaf parsleychopped
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
For the pastry
- 1 ⅓ lb plain flourplus extra for rolling
- 10 ½ oz cold butterdiced, plus a little for the tin
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 egg
- ½ cup ice-cold waterroughly
To glaze
- 1 egg yolkbeaten with 1 tbsp milk
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What you'll need
Fresh ingredients (9)
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Method
0/12 doneStep 1: Mix 1 ⅛ lb boneless pork shoulder, 1 ⅛ lb boneless chicken thighs, 2 onions, 5 cloves garlic, ⅔ oz fresh ginger, 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, 1 handful flat-leaf parsley, 1 tsp four-spice (quatre-épices), ¼ tsp ground nutmeg, 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp ground black pepper and 2 tbsp sunflower oil in a bowl. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Step 2: For the pastry, rub 10 ½ oz cold butter into 1 ⅓ lb plain flour and 1 tsp salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs with a few flakes of butter left.
Step 3: Beat 1 egg with most of ½ cup ice-cold water, add to the bowl and mix with a knife, adding the rest of the water a spoon at a time, until the dough just comes together. Don't knead.
Step 4: Split into two pieces, one about two thirds and one third, flatten into discs, wrap and chill until firm.
30 minStep 5: Heat the oven to 400°F (350°F fan) with a baking tray inside. Butter a 24 cm springform tin.
Step 6: Roll the larger piece of pastry to about 5 mm thick and line the tin, letting the pastry hang slightly over the rim. Patch any cracks firmly.
Step 7: Drain off any liquid from the marinated meat, then pack the filling into the pastry case, pressing it level.
Step 8: Roll out the rest of the pastry for the lid, brush the rim of the case with a little ⅓ egg yolk, lay the lid over and press the edges together. Trim and crimp them tightly so no juices escape.
Step 9: Cut a 1.5 cm hole in the centre of the lid, decorate with pastry leaves or score a pattern if you like, and brush all over with the rest of ⅔ egg yolk.
Step 10: Set the tin on the hot tray and bake for 20 minutes, until the pastry starts to colour.
20 minStep 11: Lower the oven to 350°F (300°F fan), cover the top loosely with foil once it is golden, and bake until a thermometer pushed through the hole into the centre reads at least 165°F and the juices bubble clear.
110 minStep 12: Leave to rest in the tin for 20 minutes before unclipping and slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature, and refrigerate any leftovers within 2 hours.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 30 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 28 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pâté créole take?
- About 180 minutes in total: 50 minutes to prepare and 130 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- What can I use instead of boneless chicken thighs?
- Chicken breast, same weight (cook a few minutes less so it stays juicy).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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