Patés, Terrines, Timbales, Savoury Mousseline and Mousse

These are sometimes intimidating. They are actually quite easy. They just take a little time. They have a great shelf life in the fridge. You can pull them out and serve them to family and guests. Accompany with crackers, croutons, toast points, bread........


Timbales of Chicken with Truffles

Mousseline
  • 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 2 tbsp minced fresh parsley
  • 6 tbsp truffle juice
  • 1 egg
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup duxelles (recipe follows)
    Sauce
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock or brown veal stock
  • 1/4 cup truffle juice
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 pound unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 tbsp minced truffle or truffle shavings
  • salt
  • freshly ground pepper
  • lemon juice
Instructions
  1. To make the mousseline, be sure all the ingredients are very cold. This is important.
  2. Cut chicken into 1 inch pieces. Remove all traces of fat and tendons.
  3. In a food processor, combine the chicken, tarragon, parsley, truffle juice, egg, salt, and pepper. Process until the mixture is a very smooth puree. Transfer to a cold mixing bowl and chill over ice or in the refrigerate.
  4. Preheat oven to 325°F.
  5. Lightly whip the heavy cream. Set the chicken puree over ice and fold in the cream. Test the mousseline in simmering water. Poach a spoonful of the mousseline in salted simmering water for 4-5 minutes.
  6. Remove the mousseline from the water and taste. Correct the seasoning as necessary. Refrigerate until needed.
  7. Generously butter six or eight 1/2 cup timbales. Half fill each timbale with the mousseline and layer with duxelles (recipe below). Top with the remaining mousseline. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down.
  8. Bake in a bain marie for 30-40 minutes, or until the mousseline springs back when lightly pressed.


    Duxelles
  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 pound mushrooms, minced
  • 2 medium shallots, minced
  • 3-4 tablespoons heavy cream
  • salt
  • freshly ground black pepper

    Instructions
  1. Melt the butter in a hot saute pan. Add the mushrooms and shallots, and saute over moderate heat until all the liquid evaporates. Stir occasionally so that the mixture cooks evenly.
  2. Stir in enough cream to bind the mushroom mixture.
  3. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use as directed.

    To make the sauce
  1. In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, shallot, chicken stock, and truffle juice. Cook over high heat, until only 1/2 cup remains.
  2. Add the cream and reduce until slightly thickened.
  3. Whisk in the butter, one small piece at a time. Strain sauce and stir in truffle shavings. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and lemon juice.
  4. Unmold the timbales onto warm plates. Spoon sauce over mousselines.



Cold Chicken and Vegetable Mousseline with Fresh Tomato Sauce
    Ingredients
  • 1 recipe chicken mousseline (previous recipe), without duxelles
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground white pepper
  • 1 medium zucchini/courgette, cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch pieces
  • 2 small carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 pound spinach, chopped
  • 4 medium mushrooms, sliced
  • 1/2 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1 large tomato, peeled and seeded
  • fresh tomato vinaigrette (below)
    Instructions
  1. Prepare the chicken mousseline and add the additional salt and pepper.

  2. Blanch vegetables (zucchini, carrots, spinach, mushrooms, and cauliflower), in separate batches in boiling salted water until they are tender. Chill. Cut tomato into strips and add to blanched vegetables.

  3. Generously butter a 6 cup loaf pan. Cut waxed paper to fit the bottom of the pan and generously butter the paper.

  4. Preheat oven to 325°F.

  5. To make layers: Spread one third of the chicken mousseline over the bottom of the loaf pan; arrange half of the vegetables as desired; top with one third of the mousseline and the remaining half of the vegetables; and cover with remaining third of the mousseline. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down.

  6. Set loaf pan in a bain marie and bake for 40-50 minutes or until the mousseline springs back when lightly pressed.

  7. Chill for at least 24 hours.


Fresh Tomato Vinaigrette

  • 1 shallot, chopped
  • 6-8 tbsp sherry or wine vinegar
  • leaves from 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1/3 cup water
  • 1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and diced
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • 1/2 cup almond or safflower oil
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
    Instructions
  1. In a small saucepan, combine the shallot, vinegar, tarragon, tomato paste, and water. Over medium high heat, reduce until only 1/3 cup remains. Puree in a food processor until smooth.

  2. Add the tomato and continue to process until smooth.

  3. Add the olive oil, tomato juice, and almond or safflower oil, and process briefly to blend. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

  4. Unmold the mousseline. Coat each plate with fresh tomato vinaigrette and place a slice of the mousseline on the sauce.


Smoked Fish Mousse Chilling overnight gives this mousse the desired firm consistency. Lox may be substituted for the smoke salmon, but if you use lox don't add the salt.
    Ingredients
  • 4 ounces sturgeon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 4 ounces smoke salmon, cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • 1 cup heavy cream, whipped
  • 2 ounces red or black caviar

    Instructions
  1. In a food processor, puree the sturgeon. Strain through a tamis or fine sieve into a medium bowl and keep cold.

  2. In a food processor, puree the smoked salmon. Strain through a tamis or a fine sieve into a separate bowl and keep cold.

  3. Season each fish puree with salt, pepper, and lemon juice to taste.

  4. Fold half the whipped cream into the salmon and half into the sturgeon.

  5. In the bottom of a 3 cup serving dish, spread the sturgeon puree. Sprinkle with half the caviar and top with salmon puree. Sprinkle remaining caviar over all. Chill overnight.

  6. Serve from the dish. Do not unmold.


Fish Terrine

This pate is rich enough to serve in small portions as an appetizer, or it can be cut into larger slices for a light lunch or supper.

    Ingredients
  • juice of 1 medium lemon
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tbsp chopped fresh tarragon
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground white pepper
  • 1/4 pound salmon, boned, skinned, and cut into strips 5 by 1/4 inch
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup diced carrots
  • 1/2 cup diced leeks
  • 6 large asparagus, peeled
  • 1 pound spinach, cleaned with stems removed
  • 1 pound sea scallops
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 cups heavy cream

    Instructions
  1. In a glass bowl, combine the lemon juice, white wine, 2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Add the salmon and marinate for 2 hours, turning two or three times.

  2. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the carrots and leeks and saute until tender but still crisp, about 10 minutes. Cool and set aside.

  3. Cook the asparagus in boiling salted water for 5 minutes, just until tender. Do not overcook. Drain and set aside. Cut off the bottom ends so the asparagus will lie flat in the terrine.

  4. In lightly salted boiling water, cook the spinach leaves for 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

  5. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  6. To make the scallop mousse: In a food processor, puree the scallops. Add the egg, the remaining 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon, 1 teaspoon salt. 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Process until the mixture is smooth. With motor running, pour the cream through the feed tube and process it till it is well blended.

  7. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Gently fold in the leeks and carrots. Test the mousse by poaching a teaspoonful in a small amount of simmering water. Correct seasoning to taste. It should be slightly over seasoned.

  8. Generously butter a loaf pan or pate mold. Arrange the spinach leaves on the bottom, to a depth of about 1/2 inch, and up the sides of the pan, leaving a overhang. Add a 1 inch deep layer of scallop mousse.

  9. Arrange half the asparagus over the mousse. Arrange the salmon in a layer on top of the mousse and arrange the remaining asparagus over the salmon. Fill the terrine with the remaining mousse and fold the spinach leaves back over the mousse to cover.

  10. Butter a piece of aluminum foil and fit it over the terrine, buttered side down. Bake in bain marie for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the terrine is firm to the touch. Do not allow the water to boil. Remove from oven and cool. Refrigerate for 24 hours.

  11. Slice and serve with a lovely flavoured mayonnaise.


Country Style Paté

A simple pate that can become a more elegant and extravagant terrine with the addition of goose liver, truffles, pigeon breast, or duck breast. The chicken livers can be replaced by pork livers.

    Ingredients
  • 4 ounces salt pork
  • 1 pound pork shoulder
  • 1 1/2 pounds pork fatback
  • 6 chicken livers
  • 1 shallot minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly ground pepper
  • 1 tsp allspice
  • pinch of thyme
  • 1/2 cup Madeira
  • 1/4 cup Cognac
  • 1 bay leaf

    Instructions
  1. Cut the salt pork, pork shoulder, and 1 pound fat back into 1/2 inch cubes. Clean the chicken livers. Place with the pork in a glass or ceramic bowl.

  2. In a small bowl, combine the shallot, salt pepper, allspice, thyme, Madeira and Cognac. Pour over the meat and stir well. Marinate for 24 hours in the fridge.

  3. Preheat oven to 350°F.

  4. Using the medium disk of a meat grinder, grind the meat mixture. Mix well with any remaining marinade. Set aside.

  5. Slice remaining fatback into very thin slices and line a 6 cup pate mold or terrine, leaving a slight overhang. Pat the forcemeat into the mold and place a bay leaf on top. Fold back the overhang of fatback. Cover with buttered foil, buttered side down.

  6. Set the mold into a bain marie and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Check to see if it is done by inserting a skewer into the center of the pate and leaving it for one minute; then remove the skewer and carefully touch it to your lower lip. It should feel very hot. The melted fat and juices around the pate should be clear. Remove the paté from the oven when done.

  7. Cool to room temperature and chill for at least 24 hours.

  8. Unmold the paté on a serving platter. Slice a few slices and overlap them. Garnish with cornichons or pickled artichoke hearts.


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