Nga Nguyen

Vietnamese-style pate

Today, we had brunch at Three Broomsticks Restaurant. Oh how I loved the name the kids came up with. Moreover, they cooked! I didn’t have to lift a finger (sort of).

Hubby ordered pumpkin juice (mimosa), strong potion mixed with black potion (cappuccino), chopped-up troll meat (instant oatmeal), Hippogriff eggs (scramble eggs), and Troll clubs (brioche with butter and jam). I had pumpkin juice, Dementor cloak (salad, tomato, and cheese), and Hippogriff sandwich (baguette, prosciutto, and Vietnamese-style pate).

The food was delicious and the service was impeccable.

Vietnamese-style pate

(Adapted from Vanh Khuyen Le)

For 4 jars

1 lb chicken liver (soaked in milk for 30 minutes, drained and cleaned)
1 tbs canola oil
80 g butter
4 garlic cloves (chopped)
40 g shallot (chopped)
1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 lb ground pork
1 tbs canola oil
50 g butter
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
60 g white bread (soaked in milk and drained)
Grinds of pepper
1 tsp dried basil (optional)
1/2 tsp fried garlic (optional)
A few slices of bacon

  1. In a large skillet (not non-stick), melt 1 tbs canola oil + 80 g butter over medium heat.
  2. Add 1/2 part of chopped garlic and shallot, fry until fragrant.
  3. Add chicken liver + 1/2 tsp chicken bouillon powder + 1/3 tsp salt and cook for a minute only.
  4. Pour into a bowl and set aside to cool.
  5. In the same skillet, melt 1 tbs canola oil + 50 g butter over medium heat.
  6. Add ground pork + 1/2 tsp five-spice powder.
  7. Add the remaining chopped garlic and shallot.
  8. Cook for a few minutes.
  9. Take the skillet off the heat, add drained bread. Set aside to cool.
  10. Use a food processor to process the liver mixture until semi-smooth. Pour into the bowl and set aside.
  11. Use the same food processor bowl to process the ground pork mixture until smooth.
  12. Add the liver mixture + grinds of pepper + 1 tsp dried basil (optional) + 1/2 tsp fried garlic (optional).
  13. Process until liver and pork are combined.
  14. Spread butter around 4 jars.
  15. Layer a few bacon slices on the bottom of the jars.
  16. Add liver-pork mixture (make sure no bubble is trapped inside).
  17. Finish with another layer of bacon slices.
  18. Close the cover of the jars, and use a piece of aluminium foil to wrap the top of the jar as another protection layer.
  19. Steam for at least one hour.
  20. Let it cool completely before refrigerating.
  21. Invert the pate to a plate to serve.