Rabbit Pâté

Ingredients

• 300 g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 120 g cold butter
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 onion
• 1 Garlic clove
• 1 tbsp butter
• 500 g rabbit meat (pre‑cooked)
• 400 g pork belly
• 1 pinch pastry salt
• 1 egg
• 1 handful freshly chopped tarragon
• 2 tbsp breadcrumbs
• Salt
• pepper (ground)
• 1 tsp sherry

Instructions

1. 1.

   For the dough, quickly knead flour, salt, butter and 2 egg yolks with 1–2 tbsp cold water into a smooth dough and chill wrapped in cling film for about 30 minutes.

2. 2.

   For the filling, peel and finely dice onion and garlic, sauté until translucent in hot butter. Remove from heat, transfer to a bowl and let cool. Rinse rabbit and pork belly, pat dry, roughly cube, add pastry salt and chill for about 15 minutes. Then pulse through a coarse grinder or mix lightly with a hand mixer. Add to the bowl. Mix in egg and tarragon. Gradually fold in breadcrumbs until the mixture is well‑formed. Season with salt, pepper and sherry.

3. 3.

   Preheat oven to 180 °C (356 °F) with upper and lower heat. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

4. 4.

   Knead dough briefly again and roll out to 3–4 mm thickness. Cut two rectangles: one about 14 cm wide by 30 cm long, the other same length but 16–18 cm wide. Place the smaller rectangle on the sheet. Shape the meat mixture into a loaf and place it in the center of the larger rectangle, leaving a ~2 cm border all around. Beat remaining egg yolk with 1–2 tbsp water and brush the edge. Cover with the second dough rectangle and press edges together. Brush the top with beaten yolk. Cut decorative shapes (dots, leaves) from leftover dough and place on top; brush again. Punch 2–3 small holes (~1 cm diameter) in the center to allow steam escape. Bake for about 1 hour.

5. 5.

   Remove from oven and serve sliced while still warm or after cooling.