Pâté de Canard d'Amiens

Not yet written for this entry.

Pâté de canard d'Amiens is Picardy's proudest charcuterie — a large, ornately decorated raised pie of duck in a hot-water pastry crust, served cold with its interior gelée, that has been a speciality of Amiens since the 17th century. This is not a country pâté but a piece of haute charcuterie: the presentation is as important as the filling, and the best examples (from Maison Degond, operating since 1642) feature elaborately decorated pastry crusts with leaves, flowers, and the word 'AMIENS' stamped into the dough. The construction: prepare a hot-water crust pastry (pâte à pâté — 500g flour, 200g lard melted in 200ml hot water, 1 egg, salt — mixed to a smooth, pliable dough). Line a hinged pâté mould with the pastry. The filling: a whole duck (boned, the legs and breast separated) is marinated overnight in Cognac, Madeira, salt, pepper, and quatre-épices. A forcemeat is made from the remaining duck meat and pork shoulder (50:50), seasoned with the marinade, and enriched with diced foie gras, pistachios, and truffles. The mould is filled: a layer of forcemeat, the marinated breast fillets, more forcemeat, the leg meat, more forcemeat, pressing each layer firmly. The pastry lid is sealed with egg wash, decorated with pastry cut-outs, and a chimney hole is cut for steam and gelée. Bake at 180°C for 2-2.5 hours (the internal temperature must reach 72°C). After cooling to room temperature, pour warm, clarified duck or veal stock through the chimney hole — it seeps into the spaces between meat and crust and sets as a clear gelée. Refrigerate 24 hours before slicing. Each slice reveals: the golden crust, the clear gelée, the coarse forcemeat studded with green pistachios and dark truffle, and the pink, Cognac-marinated duck breast and leg at the center.

Not yet written for this entry.