Pâté, Confit, Rillette: Recipes from the Craft of Charcuterie

Polcyn, chef and owner of several Detroit restaurants, once again teams with Ruhlman (Charcuterie and Salami) to dive deep into charcuterie. “A great pâté is a representation of the heights of culinary craftsmanship and excellence,” the authors note, and even home cooks can make their own with only “a good grinder and good food processors, both with very sharp blades.” The authors begin with their master pâté recipe—the duck pâté en terrine—a three-page recipe that takes two days to prepare and includes a pound of duck, fresh duck livers, pork back fat, heavy cream, and pistachios. From there, the authors move on to other terrines and gelees, with a curried chicken liver terrine and a gelee of lobster and leeks. Mousses get their due with a traditional smoked salmon mousse, as well as spuma di mortadella—a foam made with mortadella, heavy cream, and nutmeg. A chapter on foie gras opens with the traditional foie gras au torchon (which Polcyn learned while working at the French Laundry); and an entire chapter on making crusts includes a recipe for rabbit pâté en croûte that calls for 27 ingredients. The recipes may require work, but the authors of this excellent volume take good care to thoroughly explain each step. Meat-loving cooks looking for a challenge will delight in this expert volume. (May)