Pronounced as paa tay, Pâté is a French word for paste. It is a paste, pie or loaf filled with a forcemeat. This forcemeat commonly includes ground meat from pork, poultry, fish or beef; fat, vegetables, herbs, spices and either wine or brandy. Most liked pâté dishes are usually served on or with bread or crackers.
This French dish can be served hot or cold, depending on its recipe. A pâté is often made with pig meat and parts, but wild game like snipe, partridge, venison or wild boar can be cooked into a pâté, as can farm-raised duck, rabbit, pheasant or vegetables. They are molded to form decorative shapes and usually presented in elegant ways.
If you want something different for breakfast, having different types of pâté will be a great idea. With its use of different ingredients, pâté will certainly surprise in ways you may not have expected before. Let us dig deep down on the types of pâté and which one is good for you as an appetizer or a first course in meals.
Different Types Of Pâté
Pâté de Foie Gras
Since the late 1770s, Pâté de Foie Gras has been the true king for the types of pâté and is an ultimate delight for pâté lovers. Pâté de Foie Gras is exclusively made of duck livers or geese livers, which have undergone a fattening process to enlarge their ordinary size. Pâté de Foie Gras was created and popularized in 1779 by a French chef named Jean-Joseph Clause.
Pâté de Foie Gras is one of those types of pate that is subject to regulations by the French government. The law states that Pâté de Foie Gras should contain at least 50% fattened goose or duck liver, while the rest of the percentage should consist of chicken liver, pork, and eggs.
When it comes to pricing, duck liver is always more affordable than goose liver. Their flavors are also different, so make sure to check the types of pate or Foie Gras you are purchasing. If the menu on the Pâté de Foie Gras doesn’t mention any fattened goose liver, that means it is made with fattened duck liver instead.
Pâté en Croûte
Also known as the pie-crust, Pâté en Croûte is a type of pâté baked in a pastry covering. This is also an ancient dish traced back to the Middle Ages and was a famous feast dish back then. Pâté en Croûte is still a popular French dish as of today. One of its well-known variant is the pâté en croûte richelieu that is made with chicken liver.
This type of pate comes in different variants, wherein it can have an excellent filling of pork, veal, or poultry and some mushrooms or nuts. The crust of the pie is cooked in a terrine and based on regulations, the Pâté en Croûte dish should contain at least 50% of the meat where the dish is named after.
Pâté de Campagne
This is one of the easiest and most inexpensive types of pate to prepare. It is also commonly known as the country terrine that uses inexpensive trims and cuts of meat. You can even garnish it with whatever is on hand, such as smoked ham and duck confit.
Pâté de Campagne is prepared using a rustic preparation that contains a small amount of liver meat and it is also more refined and ground than other types of pate, such as Pâté grand mère. The small portion of liver (either chicken liver or pork liver) in this pate plays the role of a flavoring item.
The evolution of cuisines also affected the preparation of Pâté de Campagne and nowadays, it may already contain more expensive ingredients, such as many delicious truffle types that would make a chunky terrine. It may also have a coarse, moist and chunky texture as the internal garnishes may include fresh herbs, duck confit, and chunks of smoked ham.
One of its most common variants is called Pâté en croute Richelieu that is filled with chicken livers. That simply means it is made by filling the mousse of chicken livers in the center of the pastry crust. The once not edible crusty pastry is now being enjoyed nowadays as you can eat the flaky crust together with the soft filling at once.
Mushroom Pâté
Since some of the people are vegetarians, Mushroom Pâté has been created to cater them in France. This is a pâté made of a sautéed mixture including dried or fresh mushrooms, garlic, rosemary, and ricotta. It has a rich taste with an umami flavor from mushrooms that you can spread easily on anything.
Even if you are a non-vegetarian, you can still enjoy the delectable Mushroom Pâté. If you are one of those who are into mushrooms and want some to spread on their toast, this versatile type of pate is definitely for you. Your taste buds will surely be enticed at the first bite.
Pâté de Gibiers
Also known as Wild Game Pâté, Pâté de Gibiers is one of those special types of pate made from farmed animals or wild game. During the hunting season, you will find the pâté recipes Menu de la Chasse or Pâté de Gibiers Sauvage if the pâté is really made from the meat of wild animals.
The lists of wild game may include pheasant, roe deer, wild boar, and quail. They can be legally hunted due to the short hunting season with permission. Pâté de Gibier en Croûte et sa Salade de Mâche is a variant of game pâté that’s usually cooked in bread or any other covering. It is served with lamb’s lettuce salad.
Another variant of game pâté called Pâté en Croûte de Gibier à Plumes et sa Compote à l’Échalote is made with bird meat, prepared with bread or any other covering. It is then served with sweetened and stewed shallots.
If you want something that is made with red deer meat and served with chestnuts, you can have the Pâté de Cerf aux Marrons. Another variety called Pâté de Gibier aux Canneberges Maison, Toasts de Pain Blanc is also available. It is served with a special cranberry sauce and toasted white bread. The Pâté de Gibiers game pâté variations are often served hot and have a gamey taste with juicy filling.
Pâté Grandmère
In traditional French cuisine, Pâté Grandmère is a dish that originates in Gascony – which is a region rich in Armagnac, prunes, and flavors. This classic charcuterie’s dish chunky pâté en terrine is made with bacon, pork liver, and boneless pork leg. The meat ingredients are usually cooked with basic spices, lard, shallots, eggs, soft Omerta, bread crumbs, and whole milk for the filling.
Compared to the other types of pate, Pâté Grandmère has a superior taste. The addition of bacon into this dish creates a chunky texture and its fat gets along well with other ingredients. This harmonious combination enables it to create a beautiful juicy filling for the Pâté Grandmère.
Pâté Vigneron
If you are looking for a pâté that has a meat filling inside, Pâté Vigneron will be a great option for you. It uses pork filling inside and puff pastry outside. They are usually sliced pork that is cut into strips. The meat is marinated with onions, parsley, white wine, and spices.
After marinating, the meat mixture is then grinded in a food processor and covered with a puff pastry. The combination of ingredients creates an incredibly pleasant taste due to the addition of nutmeg in the pork. Being an affordable pate, Pâté Vigneron is also best enjoyed with white wine.
Pâté Lorraine
One of the types of pate that is also a traditional dish from France is Pâté Lorraine. It is mainly made from pork and veal. Rabbit meat and chicken are seldomly being used in this dish. Wine, shallots, and fresh herbs like thyme, bay leaves, and parsley are used as seasonings with these types of meats.
Pâté Lorraine is famous in the Baccarat commune in the Lorrain region, as the name suggests. When you visit France and want to eat pâté, you can enjoy this either hot or cold. It has a flaky pastry cover outside before baking and a flavorful filling inside.
Pâté Maison
Chicken liver and pork liver paste create a super creamy and velvety texture, and this is what makes the Pâté Maison a special French cuisine. Chefs would usually wrap these livers with bacon. Pâté Maison is served on crisp slices of bread or toasted bread with some herbs and onions.
Pâté Chaud
French cuisine has expanded around the world and one of them is a popular dish in Vietnam. Pâté Chaud is one of the popular types of pate, including liver and cured meat, or only fatty liver. This pâté is a gem of Vietnamese cuisine and is also called Bánh patê sô, that means hot pastry in Vietnamese language.
Pâté Chaud or pate chaud is usually served hot on a very delicious pastry with a flaky and crusty outside and juicy meat filling. In Vietnam, most bakeries would sell Pâté Chaud or Bánh Patê sô in their menu. This famous pate has a delicious filling that is commonly made from pork meat, but the beef and chicken versions are also popular. It is a must-try to eat pâté should you visit Vietnam one day.
Pâté Forestière
Pâté Forestière is made with ingredients that bring out an extremely earthy, forest-like flavor. This sets this Pâté Forestière different from the other types of pate. If it is your first time to eat pâté, you will surely love Forestière.
This pâté is made with minced pork liver, pancetta, eggs, brandy, sherry, cream, mushrooms, truffle salt, and fresh herbs like parsley and thyme. These sets of ingredients bring out the decadent goodness in every bite.
What Are The Differences Between Pâté Vs. Terrine
Pâtés & Terrines share some common traits that would make them very identical. They can be used interchangeably in French cuisine. Actually, some pates are terrines, but most terrines are not pate. One of their main differences would be the ingredients in making these two French dishes.
Pâtés are usually made with mostly liver. It can be pork liver, chicken liver, duck or goose liver. Meanwhile, most terrines are made with chunky meat like pork hock, lamb leg meat, duck breast, or minced pork.
Another obvious difference would be their texture. Pâtés are finer and smoother as they mainly use livers, while terrines are chunkier due to the usage of meats. This allows pâtés to be shaped in any container.
How To Choose The Best Type of Pâté?
When choosing the best types of pate, you’ll have to check if their taste and texture suits your preferences or taste buds. Different types of pâté depend upon the type of forcemeat being used. Pâtés are considered as forcemeat that is combined with herbs and seasoning. They can also contain chicken fat or chicken liver pâté.
Campagne or Country-Style forcemeat is the simplest among the types of pâté forcemeat. This is made by a simple process of grinding pork through a coarse die. Straight forcemeat is more refined and smoother as compared to country-style forcemeat. It is also the most versatile type of pâté forcemeat.
Gratin forcemeat is made by sautéing the meat first before grinding. It is used to make some types of pâté such as pâté en croûte, terrines, and galantines. Mousseline forcemeat is also a versatile type that can be served cold or hot. It is airy, light, and flavored quite delicately that’s perfect to be transformed into sausages, terrines, timbales, or quenelles.
The types of pâté presented in this article would certainly satisfy your cravings as they are all delectable. Some of them have a crispy layer outside and juicy filling inside.