For my foodie friends
We were eating in a little restaurant off Queensgate in Kensington last night and I ordered a pate parfait as a starter. I came cold, very cold, in glass jar with a metal bail holding on a glass lid. Inside was a generous half cup - or a little more - of pate under a chilled solid layer of schmaltz.
I broke and removed the schmaltz and ate the really quite excellent pate in solid little chunks on the two (count them, two) toast points. I then had more than two thirds of my serving left. Kent got some artisan bread with butter and dipping sauces and I stole some of his bread, buttered it, added some of the now thawing pate and it was even better than before.
I asked for some more bread and it came just before my butterflied lamb chop. the chop was very nice, but by this time the pate was room temperature, spreadable, and absolutely grand. The serving size ofthe pate was really more than that of my lamb entree.
My questions: Why was this a parfait? Because of the schmaltz? Do people eat schmaltz? Why was it served icy cold? At room temperature it was great but as served it was difficult to handle and not nearly as tasty. At room temp you might have been able to spread the fat on the bread, but as served that was impossible. Why only two toast points for a very large serving of pate? The pate would have been enough for chunky or three delicate full-sized sandwiches. I felt like I was doing something wrong, but the pate was really too good to waste.
I broke and removed the schmaltz and ate the really quite excellent pate in solid little chunks on the two (count them, two) toast points. I then had more than two thirds of my serving left. Kent got some artisan bread with butter and dipping sauces and I stole some of his bread, buttered it, added some of the now thawing pate and it was even better than before.
I asked for some more bread and it came just before my butterflied lamb chop. the chop was very nice, but by this time the pate was room temperature, spreadable, and absolutely grand. The serving size ofthe pate was really more than that of my lamb entree.
My questions: Why was this a parfait? Because of the schmaltz? Do people eat schmaltz? Why was it served icy cold? At room temperature it was great but as served it was difficult to handle and not nearly as tasty. At room temp you might have been able to spread the fat on the bread, but as served that was impossible. Why only two toast points for a very large serving of pate? The pate would have been enough for chunky or three delicate full-sized sandwiches. I felt like I was doing something wrong, but the pate was really too good to waste.