The pâté en croute (or “pie crust”) appeared in France as early as the Middle Ages. It is made from a butter pâté dough (puff pastry, short crust or brioche) that contains seasoned meats, fish or vegetables, usually accompanied by a jelly and cooked in a metal mold. It should be noted that, for many years, the crust was not eaten because it was only used to preserve the pâté. Between the preparations of the dough, the jelly and the various stuffings, it takes between two and four days to create a pie worthy of the name.
Completely outdated since the food industry appropriated this product, only a few butchers continued to satisfy a dwindling clientele. Since 2009 and the annual organization of a world championship in the category, the pâté has gradually become trendy again. More and more craftsmen have taken it into their heads to modernize the old recipes somewhat by using quality raw materials, without additives or preservatives. After having tasted and noted more than fifty pâtés crusts according to different criteria (appearance, dough, garnish, seasoning, flavors, price per kilo), here is our selection.
Yohan Lastre’s lemon, mustard seed and tarragon chicken
Trained as a cook, Yohan Lastre made the crazy bet in 2016, with his partner Marion Sonier, to dedicate a large part of a shop, Lastre sans apostrophe, to pâté en croute. It was good for them, because customers have been rushing there every day to get one of the savory jewels that adorn the window, including the one that won the pie crust championship in 2012. The catering offer is also worth the fork kick.
Our opinion : with its crunchy and thick crust as it should be, we discover here a pie that gracefully combines simplicity, softness, liveliness and freshness. A must.
Composition : pâté, stuffing (chicken, turkey, mustard, onion, white wine, candied lemon, salt, pepper, allspice), fine stuffing (chicken, cream, salt, pepper), chicken jelly with tarragon.
Paris. Price: 58 euros per kilo.
Pork, dried fruit and homemade amaretto from Yann Plé
In 2018, Yann Plé, butcher-charcutier, pastry chef, and Pauline Pavard-Plé, cook, decided to join forces to open their own brand called Jeanine et Christiane, named after the grandmothers of the duo. On the program, delicious and very varied cooked dishes and an excellent range of traditional and modern charcuterie at the same time. A young house to discover.
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