Authentic Pate de Campagne Recipe

Pate de Campagne Recipe

This Pâté de Campagne recipe brings together ground pork, bacon, pork liver, pistachios, herbs, warming spices, brandy, and aromatics to create a rustic French country terrine with deep savory flavor. Featured on Dinner in Paris, host Romain Avril prepares this traditional-style pâté by slowly baking the seasoned pork mixture in a bain-marie before pressing and chilling it until firm. Served cold in thin slices with Dijon mustard, cornichons, and crisp crostinis, it makes an impressive French appetizer or small plate for entertaining.

The Inspiration

Pâté de Campagne, meaning country pâté, represents the rustic side of French charcuterie. Unlike exceptionally smooth pâtés or mousses, country-style pâté is usually recognized for its coarser texture, visible pieces of meat, rich seasoning, and hearty character. The result is less about creating a completely silky spread and more about producing a substantial terrine that can be sliced and served cold.

In this version from Dinner in Paris, Romain Avril combines those pork elements with pistachios, shallots, garlic, thyme, nutmeg, cloves, brandy, cream, eggs, and bread. Each ingredient plays an important role in the final texture and flavor.

Together, these components create a traditional French presentation that balances rich meat with acidity, spice, and texture.

Ingredients

• 900 g (2 lbs) ground pork
• 225 g (1/2 lb) bacon, chopped into ½ inch pieces
• 225 g (1/2 lb) pork liver, chopped into ½ inch pieces (soaked in milk overnight)
• 2 large shallots, finely minced
• 3 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 4 slices of white bread
• ½ cup 35% cream
• 50 ml (¼ cup) brandy
• 1/2 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp round cloves
• 2 tsp salt
• 1 g of pink curing salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Dijon mustard, for serving
• Cornichons, for serving
• Crostinis, for serving

Method

• Strain the liver pieces from the milk they were soaking in and place them on a paper towel lined plate.
• Heat olive oil in a small pan over medium heat. Once hot, add shallots and garlic.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat. Let the mixture chill completely.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat together the bread, cream and eggs until a thick paste is formed.
• Add ground pork, shallot and garlic mixture, brandy, pistachios, thyme, nutmeg, clove, salt, curing salt and black pepper.
• Slowly mix it all together for 2-3 minutes. Add bacon and liver and mix until just combined.
• Preheat the oven to 300F. Grease a 4’ x 9’ inch baking tin and line it with parchment paper, leaving some extra over the sides.
• Transfer pork mixture into the baking tin and tap on the counter to help it settle.
• Push down on the mixture with your hands to flatten it and fold excess parchment over the top.
• Cover baking tightly with foil. Place the baking tin in a deep baking dish and add hot water until it covers the sides all the way up without going over.
• Place bain-marie in the oven and bake for 2.5 hours. Remove from the oven and take off the foil.
• Place a 2nd baking tin over the top of the cooked pate and add weight inside to press it down (soup cans, etc.).
• Refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. Remove pate from the baking tin and unwrap the parchment paper.
• Slice into ¼ inch slices and serve with crostinis, Dijon mustard and cornichons. Enjoy!

Serving Suggestions

This authentic Pâté de Campagne recipe is particularly well suited to an appetizer course, charcuterie-style spread, or French-inspired gathering. Because the pâté is rich and savory, it benefits from accompaniments with acidity, sharpness, and crunch.

For a seated dinner, serve a modest portion as the first course before a lighter seafood dish, roasted meat, or vegetable-focused main. A fresh salad with a bright vinaigrette can also pair beautifully with the pâté because its acidity balances the richness of the pork.

Whether presented family-style or as individual plates, the combination of chilled country pâté, tangy Dijon, crisp cornichons, and toasted bread creates a distinctly French bistro-style experience.

Final Thoughts

This Pâté de Campagne recipe celebrates the rustic traditions of French charcuterie through a rich combination of ground pork, bacon, pork liver, pistachios, herbs, brandy, and aromatic spices.

Find more recipes from Dinner in Paris here!

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