Pâté de Campagne, or Country Pâté

I love pâté de campagne but I had never tried to make it before. When I found this recipe for pâté de campagne by Julia Child, I couldn’t wait to make it. I’m always looking for good liver recipes, because liver is so nutritious.

According to the Weston A. Price Foundation, liver:

• contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food
• is an excellent source of high-quality protein
• is nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
• has all the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
• is one of our best sources of folic acid
• contains a highly usable form of iron
• has trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium
• has an unidentified anti-fatigue factor
• contains CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
• is a good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA

I think you’re going to like this pâté, even if you don’t normally like liver. It tastes a lot like Braunschweiger or liverwurst, only I think it’s even more mild. It’s delicious served with sourdough bread, Dijon mustard, and Cornichons or other pickles.

This recipe is based on Julia Child’s recipe for in her book, The Way To Cook. I modified it slightly, based on what I had on hand. I also think it’s very important to use real sourdough bread, not yeasted bread (real sourdough breaks down the phytic acid; phytic acid prevents absorption of minerals). I have also specified that it is necessary to buy organic liver, and ideally, you want to use pastured or free-range chicken and eggs, and nitrate-free sausage.

Equipment Needed for This Recipe

Food Processor
Terrine or loaf pan

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