Duck Pâté (Pâté de Canard)

Serves: to serve 6

Prep Time: 20 Minutes

Cook Time: 2 Hours

Ready In: 2 hrs 20 mins

½ lb - streaky bacon rashers (slices)

½ lb - minced belly pork

4 lb - duck

½ lb - pork fillet

½ lb - chicken livers

1 - egg

1 clove - garlic

2 teaspoons - Armagnac

2 teaspoons - dried mixed herbs

pinch - mixed spice

pinch - ground allspice

1 - orange

- salt and pepper

Bone and finely chop the duck. Finely chop the pork fillet and the chicken livers. Peel and crush (mince) the garlic and beat the egg. Finely grate (shred) the zest of the orange (the very thin orange part of the skin).
Remove any rind from the bacon and use to line a deep rectangular ovenproof dish - roughly 10" x 3" x 4" (25cm x 7.5cm x 10cm) - stretching the rashers (slices) to fit if necessary. Mix the remainder of the ingredients together in a large bowl, adding two teaspoons of juice from the orange, plus salt and freshly-ground pepper to taste. Spoon into the dish (on top of the bacon) and spread evenly.
Cover the tin with a lid, or buttered greaseproof paper and foil. Place in a bain-marie and bake in a preheated moderate oven, (Mk 4 - 350ºF - 180ºC) for 2 hours, ensuring that the water in the bain-marie does not completely evaporate during cooking. (Top up with hot water if necessary.)
Remove from the oven, place a weight on the top and leave to cool. Turn the pâté out of the tin and chill for 24 hours before serving, sliced, with crusty bread or hot buttered toast.