Country Paté

2/3 cup minced onions
2 tbsp. butter
1-1/4 lb. pork sausage meat
3/4 lb. raw chicken breast
1/2 lb. pork or beef liver
1 cup pressed down homemade bread crumbs
1 large egg
1/3 cup cream cheese or goat cheese
1 clove garlic, pureed
2-3 tbsp. brandy or cognac
1 tbsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
1/4 tsp. ground thyme
1/4 tsp. ground bay leaf
1/4 tsp. freshly ground pepper

Heat oven to 350.

Saute the onions in the butter until tender and translucent.

Purée all the ingredients thoroughly in a food processor. Test for seasoning by sauteing a spoonful of the mixture; correct as necessary.

Pack the mixture into a well-buttered terrine, cover with buttered wax paper (cut in a shape to fit on top of the mixture) and then foil (allowing only a one-inch overhang of the foil).

Bake in a bain-marie (a shallow pan of boiling water) for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours; the juices should run pale yellow with a trace of rosy color. A meat thermometer should read 162 degrees.

Let cool for an hour, then weigh down with a piece of cardboard (cut to fit) wrapped in plastic wrap and a brick or large canned good. Refrigerate when cool at least overnight or for a day or two.

Source: The Way to Cook by Julia Child (Alfred A. Knopf, 1989).