Petits Patés de Pézenas

According to legend, the recipe was brought by Indian cooks accompanying Lord Clive, governor of the Indies, who came to settle in the region during the 18^th century. These small pies or pastries with sweetened meat are a ''must try'' when visiting Pézenas.

• 300 g Flour
• 60 g Lard
• ½ glass of Water
• Salt
• 300 g Meat of Leg of Lamb
• 60 g Fat of Kidney of Lamb
• Lemon Peel grated of 1 Lemon
• 25 g of Brown Sugar
• Salt and White Pepper
• 1 Egg Yoke, beaten

On the day before baking: Make the dough.

Mix the Flour, the Lard, pinch of Salt & SLOWLY add Water until obtaining, while kneading, a firm paste which does not attach to the fingers. Leave to rest in a ball under a cloth. 

On the following day: Make the mince filling, stuff & bake.

Chop the Meat and Fat of Kidney. Add Brown Sugar, Salt, & Pepper to the mince filling while adding the Peel of a Lemon. Spread out your dough with the roller to a thickness of about 3 mm. With a small coffee cup make rounds for bottoms & tops of the pastries. Then make some cylinders. Cut out the walls (approximately 6 cm in height). Then connect the bottom and the wall by pinching the dough with the wet fingers. Put the mince inside the pastries. Then connect the top and the wall by pinching the dough with the wet fingers. Poke 3 or 4 holes in tops with a toothpick. Glaze tops with Egg Yoke. Oil a cookie sheet & flour it. Place your pâtés on the cookie sheet and cook ½ hour at 210°C or Gas point 7.

These are excellent served hot or cool. They make a nice appetizer served with a Chardonnay before serving a main course.