16 September 2011

Supper Club & A Little More Pate

I loved this month's challenge! Pate...for those of you who read this blog there have been various incarnations...the classic  Chicken Liver Pate  plus Orange and Thyme Chicken Liver Pate , Port and Chicken Liver Pate and even going way back to one of my first posts on Toast for Chicken Liver Pate with Red Onion & Pomegranate Molasses Chutney



On looking through these past pate adventures that last one, or rather the first one, brings me full circle as I served it at my first turn at hosting Supper Club back in June 2010 and wrote about in the my post about our inaugural Supper Club, hosted by Kristen.  It is Kristen that actually introduced us all to Suppler Club having joined one while living in Holland for a few years.  We'd seen photos on Facebook and then over brunch when she returned to New Zealand we got talking about starting up our own.  So just over 12 months ago our Supper Club was born.

This past week saw us enter our third round of Supper Club.  So many fabulous meals and always such a good night with the Supper Clubber girls.  It really is a monthly treat to look forward to in anticipation of what culinary delights we will get to savour.  So many highlights, well all highlights really.  

Chocolate Hazelnut Ravioli

Among them the best vegetable soup, herby potato cakes with bubbling goat cheese, a buttery pistachio coated salmon, a delicious parsnip and pear puree, moist and decadent orange and almond cake drenched in a Grand Marnier syrup and simply delicious, and ever so pretty chocolate hazelnut ravioli. And one couldn't forget a whole Martin Bosley inspired dinner and an unforgettable fondue that was quite an experience...just lets say lots of flames! 

Martin Bosley Cured Salmon

This time around I was inspired by Dorie Greenspan's Around My French Table, a bit of a favourite at the moment.  To start it was the salmon rillettes, a wonderful fresh combination of poached and smoked salmon with chilli and lemon zest.  On to mains and pepper steak with a creamy brandy sauce and on the side celeriac puree drizzled with brown butter, yes brown butter.  Everything was good but the celeriac puree was positively ambrosial.  Hoping to catch the tail end of celeriac season so I can make a HUGE batch and freeze it to tide me over until next winter.


The pate de campagne wasn't originally on the menu but having rustled up a batch it really was too good not too share and it fitted in perfectly with the French Bistro theme, so it featured as a little pre dinner nibble along with some herbed olives, which again went down a treat, seriously the best olives ever. 


It was also relatively easy to make, grind and mix the meat and spices, pack in to a terrine mold and cook in a water bath at a really low heat.  Refrigerate with a weight on top to compact it and there you have it, another delicious pate. The rich meaty pate with the aromatics from all the spices peeking through a perfect little nibble with a little gherkin or cornichon, either or providing a the contrasting sweet yet tart pickle that goes so well with pate.




If you check back soon I am sure there will soon be my version of pate de campagne as somewhat addicted to pate making.  In the meantime you will need to check out Ruhlman's Charucterie or check out one of these pates... Chicken Liver Pate , Orange and Thyme Chicken Liver Pate , Port and Chicken Liver Pate or Chicken Liver Pate with Red Onion & Pomegranate Molasses Chutney.

One Year Ago - Supper Club #4

Enjoy!

10 comments:

  1. looks v excellent - how do we get an invite ?

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  2. I love your Supper Club! What a treat to have all these delicious dishes with friends. I've made (and loved) Dorie Greenspan's salmon rillettes and will have to check out her celeriac puree. Thanks for sharing! Have a lovely weekend!

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  3. Oh my, you do eat well at this Supper Club. I like the sound of that Ravioli :)

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  4. Olives and pate were absolutely delicious. As was the the whole meal really. Perfect for this cool spring weather. A fantastic french evening - thank you Mairi. A great introduction to Celeriac which I have never eaten before.

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  5. @Hannah Love those rillettes...but OMG the celeriac puree is ambrosial...one could scoff a whole bowlful!

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  6. @MariaYes it was sooo good...one of Giada's so you'll fine it on Food Network :)

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  7. @damaskrose Thanks Jess, you did set the bar very high with the Martin Bosley inspired feast :)

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