Lorraine pâté and pumpkin velouté

Lorraine pâté and butternut squash soup

The days are getting shorter and Christmas is fast approaching. We all need a festive and warming recipe. For this, we've created a fantastic duo using the Maximus wood-fired oven: Lorraine pâté and butternut squash soup. As a starter for Christmas Eve, you'll surprise your guests and delight them for sure. Check out our video!

THE RECIPE IN VIDEO

INGREDIENTS

For the Lorraine pâté for 4 people
500g of homemade puff pastry or pastry from a baker
500g of meat stuffing bought from the butcher (200g of veal shoulder, 200g of pork loin, 50g of pork belly, 50g of pork jowl)
125g of Riesling white wine
10g of Cognac
1 small bunch of finely chopped parsley
8g of Guérande salt
3g of 5-berry mix
1 small onion (or a shallot, according to your taste)
1 egg
Ingredients for butternut squash soup (serves 4)
1 pumpkin
200ml of full-fat fresh cream
5g of salt
3g of 5-berry mix
1 small onion

People	Preparation time	Cooking
4 people	35 minutes	1 hour

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing Lorraine pâté
Ideally, prepare the stuffing 48 hours in advance. Place the meat stuffing in a mixing bowl and add the salt, parsley, cognac, and white wine. Chef's tip: For a more textured pâté Lorrain, ask your butcher to cut the veal shoulder into chunks rather than having it ground.
Slice the onion very thinly and add it to the meat mixture. Chef's tip: To avoid crying while slicing the onion, place it in the freezer a little while before preparing your recipe.
Roughly crush the berries and add them to the mixture.
Mix with your fingers to obtain a homogeneous mixture.
Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 48 hours for optimal flavor development. After 48 hours of resting, proceed to assemble the Lorraine pâté.
Place your block of puff pastry on the work surface and dust it with flour.
Roll out the puff pastry into a rectangle approximately 30 x 35 cm and 3 mm thick. Chef's tip: make sure your pastry can always slide on the work surface. This is necessary for an even shape.
Cut out two strips measuring 15 x 35 cm. Chef's tip: always work with fresh puff pastry to prevent it from shrinking.
Crack the egg into a ramekin and beat it with a fork. If it's fresh, add a small pinch of salt to loosen it up.
Brush one of the two strips of dough with egg wash.
Place the filling in a neat, even roll in the middle of the strip of dough that you have just browned, leaving 3cm all around.
Apply egg wash to the entire surface of the stuffing; this helps it to hold together during cooking.
Place the lid, that is, the other strip of dough, on top. Chef's tip: don't dig your fingers into the dough when placing the lid. You risk creating depressions where the egg wash will burn during baking.
Using a large ruler or a chopstick, seal the edges of the Lorraine pâté and then score the edges.
Proceed to the scalloping (or festooning) stage. Take the back of a knife and push the tip of the blade in a little all around at an interval of about 1cm.
Brush the Lorraine pâté with egg wash.
Create the design on the Lorraine pâté. With the tip of a knife, and being careful not to cut through the pastry, make crisscrossing scratches on the top of the pâté.
Drill 3 vents to allow evaporation during cooking.
To perfect the aesthetics, form 3 small circles with small rolls of dough and place them on the chimneys.
Place the Lorraine pâté on a sheet of parchment paper and keep it chilled.
Preparing the butternut squash soup
Peel the pumpkin.
Cut it in half and remove the seeds and fibers.
Cut it into small pieces and put them in a saucepan with a little water.
Add the salt and the 5 berries
Cooking of the two preparations
Light your Maximus wood-fired oven and let it heat up to 250°C.
Place the pumpkin next to the fire and the Lorraine pâté a little further away to prevent it from burning.
Cook the pumpkin for about 40 minutes, making sure the temperature doesn't drop too low. The oven should always be between 230 and 250°C.
After 40 minutes, take the pumpkin out of the oven.
Add the cream and then blend. If the soup is too thick, add water until you reach the desired consistency.
The Lorraine pâté has been cooking for 50 minutes now, it's time to take it out of the oven.
After arranging attractive plates with a slice of Lorraine pâté, a ramekin of cream soup, and perhaps a little salad, serve your guests without delay. All that remains is for us to wish you bon appétit and wonderful holidays!