100g veal shoulder
400g minced veal and pork
1 shallot
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tsp thyme
4 tbsp parsley, chopped
a good pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp salt
80ml white wine
2 eggs
pepper
2 x 230g square puff pastry sheets
Makes 4 little patés – Prep: 45min – Overnight marinating – Oven: 35min
Cut the veal into small cubes and put in a bowl with the minced veal and pork. Peel and finely chop the shallot, peel and crush the garlic. Add to the bowl with the thyme, parsley, nutmeg, salt and wine. Mix with your hands until everything is evenly combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
The next day, add one egg and some pepper to the marinated meat and mix with a spoon until evenly combined.
Preheat the oven to 220°C.
Unroll one puff pastry and cut into 4 squares. Put the pastry squares onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Distribute the meat over the 4 pastry squares, then fold over the long sides. Beat the egg in a little bowl and brush the short pastry sides with the egg, then fold over – you will still see the meat, as the pastry won’t cover the top.
Unroll the second puff pastry and cut into 4 squares. Score a criss-cross pattern into each rectangle, then cut out a round hole from the middle of each.
Brush the pastry rim around the exposed meat with beaten egg, then put the pastry rectangles on top of the meat pastries, tucking in the excess pastry below. Brush the pastry tops with the beaten egg.
Bake the pastries in the preheated oven for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 200°C and bake for a further 25 minutes. There will be some liquid leaking out from the top holes.
When the pastries are done baking, lift them onto a wire rack and leave to cool completely before serving.
These will keep in the fridge for 3 days. Eat cold.
