White fish pate in aspic

Prep Time 2

Cook Time 45

Total Time 2 2 45

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Belgian, French

Servings 8

two 10 oz (300 g) pomfrets (total around 20 oz or 600 g) or other white fish with bones
6 oz (170 g) warm smoked mackerel
a bunch of fresh dill
4 tsp sea salt flakes
1/2 tsp ground pepper
2 tsp brandy
1 tbsp Pernod, Ricard, Rakki or Ouzo (anice liquor)
1 tbsp (gedroogde) dragon
3.5 oz (100 g) creme fraiche of sour cream
2 eggs
1/2 carrot
2 stalks of celery
1 middle sized white onion (9 oz or 250 g)
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil
5 cups water
1 bay leave

First work on the dough (see below)
Start with making a simple broth using the water, the carrot, the celery and 2 tsp of salt by heating the mixture and simmering for 20 minutes
Take the tails off the fish and reserve. Place one fish in the broth and keep it at 65-70 C for 15-20 min. Take out and repeat with the other fish
Let the fishes cool down a bit and remove the skin and then remove the fish meat. Reserve the fish meat. Keep the skin, and the bones with the tails and reserve. Also reserve the broth
Cut up the onion and briefly fry it in a skillet with some oil and then smother for 15 min at low fire. Let cool down and reserve
Meanwhile wash the dill, dry and remove the stalks. Cut very fine.
Mix the reserved white fish meat, the smoked mackerel, the onion, the dill, the tarragon, the salt, pepper, brandy, the ricard and the lemon juice. Keep it cool or cool it down in the freezer or refrigerator
Grind the mixture through the course and then through the fine mesh of the grinder
Cool the mixture down, if needed in between
Mix the eggs and the creme fresh in a separate bowl with a whisk or fork.
Mix in the egg cream mixture in the ground fish mixture and pass one more time through the fine mesh of the grinder
Fill the dough covered terrine with the ground fish mixture. Close the surface with the flap of the dough. Make two small holes in the dough surface so that moisture and steam can be released

Mix flour, salt and water and insure all the flour is absorbed by continuously folding and pressing the dough. if the dough is still too moist to the touch add a bit more flour and then make a ball
Let stand covered at room temperature for at the least 1 hr
Thereafter, on a floured surface, stretch the dough, fold it, stretch and press it. In short knead it. Do this for 10 min and make a ball
Use olive oil or other vegetable oil to brush the inside surface of the terrine with. Then place the baking paper sheet over the longer side in the terrine to aid release after baking. The latter is optional
Just before filling the terrine, place the dough on a floured surface and use the dough pin to roll the dough out in a thin layer. Cut pieces out to cover the walls of the terrine and have the dough on one long side be longer, so it can be folded onto the surface later

Place the terrine without a lid in the pre-heated oven at 180 C for 45 min
After this take the terrine out of the oven and place a hard inert surface on the dough covered pate. Place a 3 lb weight on this. Some juices may appear. Let it cool down and then place in the refrigerator with the weight on at the least overnight or a full day
To release the pate, use a paring knife to cut between the paper (or dough) and the terrine sides. Lift the pate from the terrine using the baking sheet or when not used place the terrine upside down on a wooden cutting board.
Remove the baked dough cover and keep the pate cold

Use the left-over fish carcasses, the skin, the tail etc to steep into the fish broth. Do this for 25 min at 80-85 C. Thereafter sieve the broth let cool down and place overnight in the refrigerator. Discard the fish and vegetable remainders
The next day heat the gelled fish broth and prepare the pig gelatin. Add the gelatin to the clear broth and mix
Let the broth further cool down

Clean the terrine and place three 1/5 inch (0.5 cm) thick pieces of cellery stalk on the bottom to support the fish pate. Place the fish pate on the stalks in the terrine. The stalks will cause the pate to be clear from all terrine sides.
Add the gelatin loaded fish broth over the pate and ensure the pate is covered
Place in the refrigerator for at the least one more day
Before serving, cut the aspic loose from the terrine surfaces with a paring knife. You can also dip the terrine briefly in hot water, so that the aspic may partially melt where it touches the terrine surface. Turn the terrine upside down on a wooden cutting board and cut slices with the aspic attached

Method: poaching, baking
Food allergy & intolerance information: cream, fish

Keyword aspic, fish, pate, pate en croute, white fish