Russian Monday: Chicken Liver Pâté With Red Wine & Cranberry Jelly

History of pâté is rooted in the distant past and many countries contest the right to be named its birthplace, however, by default this right is held by France. In truth, French chefs have simply revived the dish loved by ancient Romans. Interestingly enough, in medieval times, pates were served as feast culmination, and hence were decorated in the most luxurious fashion, often made with “surprise” inside, when live birds could fly out from inside of the dish brought into the feast hall. Often pâtés were cooked wrapped in the layer of dough, like pies. Dough was simply a wrapper and secondary to the stuffing, hence word “pâté” has started being used only for what was inside of such pies.

Chicken and Red Currant Pie

The currants add a tart layer to this meaty pie. Cranberries can be used if currants are not available. Great recipe for the picnic. You can serve it hot or cold. If you are planning to use it hot don't put jelly at the end. The pie freezes well. This pie would be amazing for Thanksgiving if you are using turkey and cranberry sauce.

Ingredients:

For the filling:

• 1 lb ground chicken
• 1 lb ground veal or sausage meat
• 1 Tbsp ground coriander
• 1 Tbsp dried mixed herbs
• finely grated rind of 2 oranges
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 lb chicken breast fillets
• 1 cup fresh red currant
• ground black pepper
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups aspic jelly, made according to the instructions on the packet

For the pastry:

• 4 cups plain all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup butter or lard
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cup mixed milk and water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. In the bowl, mix together the veal, ground chicken, coriander, herbs, orange rind, ginger and salt. Season with black pepper to taste.

To make the pastry, sift the flour into a large bowl with the salt. Heat the butter or lard in a small pan with the milk and water until just beginning to boil. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Quickly stir the liquid into the flour until a very dough is formed. Place on a clean work surface and knead until smooth. Cut one-third of the dough for the lid, wrap in clear film and keep in a warm place.

Roll out the large piece of dough on a floured surface and use to line the base and sides of a greased 8in loose-based, spring form cake tin. Work with the dough while it is still warm, as it will break if it becomes too cold.



Thinly slice the chicken breast fillets. Put them between two pieces of clear film and flatten with a rolling pin to a thickness of 1/8 in. Spoon half the meat mixture into the tin, pressing it well into the edges. Cover it with half the chicken slices and then the red currants, followed by the remaining chicken and finally the rest of the meat mixture.

Roll out the remaining dough and use to cover the filling, trimming off any excess and sealing the edges with a little beaten egg. Make a steam hole in the centre of the lid and decorate the top by cutting pastry trimmings into leaf shapes. Brush with some beaten egg and bake for 2 hours. Cover the pie with foil if top gets too brown.

Place the pie on a wire to cool. When cold, use a funnel to fill the pie with liquid aspic jelly. Leave the jelly to set for a few hours or overnight, before unfolding the pie to serve it.

Citrus-Berry Terrine with Red Grapefruit

This citrus-berry and red grapefruit terrine is an easy and beautiful way to say goodbye to the winter and welcome the spring. This is sophisticated jello packed with berries and citrus. Perfect for a sunny day like today!

Serves: 4-6


Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh squeezed orange juice 
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup honey
• 4 cups mixed ripe berries (small berries make slicing the terrine easier)
• 1 red grapefruit
• candied lemon zest for a garnish

Directions:

Pour the water into a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over it and let soften for 5 minutes.

Heat the honey with fresh squeezed orange juice in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until honey is dissolved. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the gelatin mixture, stirring until the gelatin is dissolved. Set aside, let it cool.



Cut a thick slice off the top and bottom of the grapefruit. Stand the grapefruit upright and, following the contour of the fruit, carefully slice downward to remove the peel, pith and membrane. Holding the grapefruit over a bowl, cut along each section of the membrane, letting each freed section drop into the bowl. Mix with berries.



Place berries and grapefruit in a 4-by-8-inch loaf pan; pour juice mixture over, pressing berries gently to submerge completely. Refrigerate until firm, at least 4-5 hours.

To unmold the terrine, dip bottom of pan in hot water about 5 seconds. Invert onto a serving platter, and shake firmly to release. Slice to serve. Serve with whipped cream and garnish with candied lemon zest.



Happy Spring, My Dear Friends!

Autumn Apple Mint Jelly

This jelly makes a great glaze on meats or pastries as well.

Ingredients:

• 3-4 pounds apples
•  4-5 cups of water
•  3 cups sugar
•  juice of one lemon
•  fresh mint
•  Add: herbs & spices of your choosing

Preparation:

Roughly chop the apples and place in pan. There is no need to peel and core. Cover with water (I used a little over 1 litre) and add spices. Bring to the boil and simmer, covered, for 45 minutes.
Pour into a scalded jelly bag suspended over a large bowl. Leave to strain for a minimum of 2 hours or over night. Don’t be tempted to prod or squeeze the jelly bag to get more juice out as this will make the jelly cloudy.
Measure 4 Cups of juice into heavy stock pan and slowly bring up heat to simmer.Add 3 Cups of sugar (3/4 C sugar for each cup of juice).Add lemon juice and simmer.



Stir in the mint.You can use your favorite spices to taste (rosemary, cinnamon stick, allspice berries & whole cloves). Continue to simmer until your reach 22o degrees for the jelly set.If no thermometer, try the spoon test when you have to wait until the jelly mixture hangs on the spoon (when turned sideways) before dripping off, thickening as it cools.
Pour into warm, sterlised jars, cover and seal. The jelly will keep for up to a year unopened, stored in a cool, dark place but once opened needs to be kept in the fridge and used within 3 weeks.