Pork and Sage Pate (Country Style)

Pork and Sage Pate is a delicious country style terrine made without liver. All the flavour comes from pork, bacon and herbs and it’s ideal to serve with crusty French bread as an appetiser or an informal lunch.

Why make Pork and Sage Pate?

Homemade pate is so much nicer than anything that you can buy. This recipe is simple to make and contains no offal. All the ingredients are things that you probably already like and will recognise easily. It’s an ideal dish to share for informal lunches and suppers with family and friends.

What is a country style pate?

Pate comes in lots of different styles. Most of us are familiar with a smooth pate like Brussels pate. Some people are put off making pate because it often contains liver or other offal, but this recipe is different.

A country style pate is a coarser chopped pate cooked in a terrine and similar to Ardenne pate. Because Pork and Sage Pate is a coarse pate it will cut easily into portions once it has been chilled.

What ingredients do I need to make Pork and Sage Pate?

Although this recipe has quite a lot of ingredients, most of them are herbs or spices that you probably already have in your larder. Here is what you will need:

• pork sausagemeat
• bacon
• onion
• garlic
• salt
• black peppercorns
• coriander seeds
• sage leaves
• fresh oregano leaves
• fresh thyme leaves
• egg
• sherry
• brandy

A full list of the ingredients and the required quantities is found in the recipe card at the end of this article.

What kind of pork sausagemeat should I use?

You can buy pork sausagemeat from your butcher or in a supermarket. Try to get the best quality sausagemeat you can because it is the main ingredient in the pate. The pork sausagemeat should have at least 70% pork.

Can I use sausages?

Yes, you can use good quality pork link sausages. Just split the skins and remove the sausagemeat.

What kind of bacon should I use in the Pork and Sage Pate?

I use smoked streaky bacon because it has a high proportion of fat and a lot of flavour. You can use unsmoked streaky bacon but it will change the overall flavour of the pate. You can also use any fatty cuts of bacon such as lardons or pancetta.

What are sage leaves?

Sage (Salvia) is a shrubby plant with soft downy leaves. aromatic, evergreen leaves that are often soft and downy. It also produces pretty flowers in mid- to late summer. Although it is a Mediterranean herb that likes to grow in a warm, sheltered spot, it is quite hardy. It’s a perennial plant and survives the winters in Scotland.

Can I use dried herbs?

I recommend that you use fresh herbs in this pate as the dried herbs have a different and stronger flavour than the fresh herbs. Sage is the key flavour so if you can only source one fresh herb then it should be sage. If you plan to use dried thyme or oregano then reduce the quantitites to 1 tsp of dried oregano and 1/2 tsp of dried thyme.

Do I need to use both brandy and sherry in Pork and Sage Pate?

The brandy and sherry do add a rich and slightly sweet flavour to the pate. If you don’t have both brandy and sherry then you can use one of them.

What can I substitute for brandy and sherry?

If you want to substitute another type of alcohol then I would suggest you use a fortified grape spirit such as Madeira, Marsala or Port because they have a slight sweetness. I don’t recommend whisky, rum or gin as their flavours may overwhelm the pork.

If you don’t want to use alcohol in the recipe then you can use apple or grape juice, or even cold strong tea.

Can I make Pork and Sage Pate ahead of time?

Yes, the pate is ideal to make ahead of the time when you want to eat it. You need to leave it overnight in the fridge with a weight on it anyway. Once the pate has been pressed, you can cover it with plastic wrap or a reusable silicone lid and keep it in the fridge for 3-4 days.

If you don’t eat it all at one meal. Wrap it up again and It will stay fresh in the fridge for another couple of days.

Can I freeze Pork and Sage Pate?

This pate can be frozen for up to 3 months. If you plan to serve the whole terrine at one meal then freeze it tightly wrapped in plastic wrap and foil. However, you will need to eat it all once it has been defrosted.

You can also cut the pate into thick slices, wrap as above and freeze in portions. This way you can defrost as much as you need to use and leave the remainder for another day.

How should I defrost the pate?

Take the pate from the freezer and place it in the fridge. The whole pate is likely to take 24 to 36 hours to defrost. Slices of pate will take 4-6 hours to defrost depending on the thickness of the slices.

Vegetarian

This recipe is not suitable for vegetarians.

Gluten Free

Use gluten free sausages to make this recipe suitable for a GF diet. Please remember to check any packaged ingredients to ensure that they are suitable for your dietary needs.

For more information regarding any dietary information provided on this website, please refer to my Nutritional Disclaimer.

How should I serve Pork and Sage Pate?

Pork and Sage Pate makes an elegant and tasty appetiser. Serve it with crusty bread, oatcakes or melba toast. You can lay out the makings for your guests to serve themselves or prepare the pate on the bread or toast and arrange them on a plate.

There are so many different ways you can serve this delicious country-style pate for lunch, as a dinner party starter or as part of an afternoon tea.

• Serve Pork and Sage Pate as part of a cheese and charcuterie platter with crusty bread and crackers.
• Use the pate in sandwiches with pickles or salad.
• Make a toasted sandwich with a slice of pate and some grated cheese.

A little pate on a slice of baguette or mini cracker with a cherry tomato or some relish on top also makes a delicious addition to a selection of canapes for a drinks party. Serve a range of canapes like these Cucumber Bites with Smoked Salmon and Air Fryer Mini Baked Potato Canapes.

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