'I promise it is easily achievable at home', writes Michel Roux Jr in his latest column for Decanter.com. See this tasty recipe, with extra wine matches from sommelier Paz Levinson.

Rabbit Pâté en Croute

  • 250g shortcrust pastry
  • 1 garlic clove
  • 1kg of spinach
  • 125g of rabbit meat
  • 125g terrine of foie gras
  • 125g rabbit liver (or chicken liver)
  • 125g unsmoked bacon
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 juniper berries
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 4 tbsp Cognac
  • 2 tbsp of butter
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Slice the shallot and cook on a medium heat with a tablespoon of butter. When softened, add the livers to the pan and switch to full heat to obtain a brown caramelized colour. Season the livers with salt and pepper add the sprig of thyme to the pan and deglaze with the cognac. Once the alcohol has evaporated put in the fridge to cool down.
  2. Cut the terrine of foie gras into small dices and leave to one side.
  3. Mince the rabbit meat, the livers (it must be cold), the unsmoked bacon and juniper berries. Thoroughly mix these ingredients together before seasoning then add the cubes of foie gras.
  4. Wash the spinach and sauté in a frying pan with a tablespoon of butter and a crushed garlic clove.
  5. Cook the spinach and allow to cool. When cool, press the spinach in the palm of your hands to extract all the water. Make the spinach into small round balls.
  6. Line the tin with shortcrust pastry and layer the minced meat and spinach until you reach the top of the tin. With the remaining shortcrust pastry roll out a thin circle to the diameter of your tin to create a lid. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes at 180°C.
  7. For a professional finish you can reduce some chicken stock and add to the pâté by making a small hole in the center of the lid. Pour the liquid inside once the pâté is cooked and has been chilled overnight. This will add a beautiful, meaty jelly between the meat and the shortcrust pastry .

Don’t be scared by the complicated French name of this recipe. I promise it is easily achievable at home. This is a French classic that both of my grandmothers used to prepare for the whole family. Very versatile, you can use all sorts of different combinations of meats and vegetables.

A Beaujolais-Village is always a winner with French charcuterie. Light and fruity, served lightly chilled works wonders with this full bodied dish.

For a special occasion a southern Rhône blend such as the Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos des Papes, Paul Avril et Fils 2013 brings this French bistro classic to another level.

Wines to drink with Rabbit Pâté en Croute by Michel Roux Jr.

Beaujolais-Village, Louis Jadot, 2013 – A beautifully balanced red wine with a real complexity of flavour. Oozing with dark fruits such as cherry, with a balance of spiciness from grey pepper and liquorice. The acidity of this wine makes it perfect to drink with the richness of the rabbit.

RRP: £9.99 Waitrose Cellar

Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Clos des Papes, Paul Avril et Fils 2013 Such a classic red, the perfect accompaniment to a luxurious dish. The gorgeous savouriness of the dish works beautifully with the sweet apricot and melon notes of the wine. Fruity, spicy and nutty, Clos des Papes is a perfect partner to the rabbit pâté en croute.

RRP: £57 from Berry Bros and Rudd

Michel Roux Jr
Michel Roux Jr
Columnist
Michel Roux Jr was born in 1960 in Pembury, Kent, where his father Albert Roux worked as a private chef for the Cazalet family. His earliest food memories are the smells of the Fairlawne kitchen – pastry, sugar caramelizing and stews – where he played under the table while his father and mother Monique prepared the meals. After deciding to follow in his father’s footsteps, he left school at 16 for the first of several challenging apprenticeships at Maître Patissier, Hellegouarche in Paris from 1976 to 1979. He was then Commis de Cuisine at Alain Chapel’s signature restaurant at Mionay near Lyon, Michel’s biggest influence. His military service was spent in the kitchens at the Elysée Palace at the time of Presidents Giscard d’Estaing and François Mitterrand. He also spent time at Boucherie Lamartine and Charcuterie Mothu in Paris, and the Gavers Restaurant in London. After a stint at the Mandarin Hotel in Hong Kong he returned to London and worked at La Tante Claire before joining the family business. He took over running Le Gavroche in 1991, gradually changing the style of cooking to his own – classic French with a lighter, modern twist. Michel opened Roux at Parliament Square in May 2010 with Restaurant Associates, part of the Compass Group UK and Ireland. And in November 2010, he opened Roux at The Landau at London’s prestigious luxury hotel, The Langham. Michel was a judge and presenter on the BBC’s popular prime time show, MasterChef: The Professionals, and presented all series of ‘Great British Food Revival.’  Michel fronted BBC2’s ‘Food and Drink,’ in 2014 and presented a documentary on Escoffier, whose revolutionary approach to fine cuisine has inspired Michel and many others. In the same year, Michel went on a journey to create the perfect chocolate for the Le Gavroche Kitchen.  Filmed by the BBC, in Paris he discovered chocolatiers, Cacao Barry and their Or Noir Lab. In 2013, Michel launched his most recent cookbook, ‘The French Kitchen’.  Focusing on traditional French home cooking, this is the fifth solo cookery book from Michel. He is involved with the Roux Experience courses at the ‘Cactus Kitchens’ cookery school, with the Executive producer of Saturday Kitchen, Amanda Ross. Cactus Kitchens offers people the opportunity to learn to cook within small intimate groups from some of the UK’s finest chefs, on site above the Saturday Kitchen studios. Michel has fronted a brand new four-part Channel 4 series, ‘The Diner’, exploring the hurdles faced by people with disabilities and mental health issues when finding employment. Michel also recently presented a new program on his first ever project with the Disney Channel.  ‘First Class Chefs’ which launched in June 2015, is a show where kids aged 9-11 compete to showcase their restaurant skills.