Country Pâté

steps

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and cream. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together eggs, onion, and garlic. Whisk in salt, pepper, thyme, allspice, rosemary, ginger, and mustard. Stir in Cognac and Grand Marnier.
3. In a large bowl, use your hands to mix ground meats together with cream and breadcrumbs. Then blend in the egg mixture. Stir in the pistachios until evenly distributed.
4. Place a bay leaf in the bottom of two 9×3-inch loaf pans, then line each pan crosswise with bacon slices, leaving some hanging over the side, reserving four slices for the tops. Fill with the meat mixture, pressing evenly into the corners. Fold over the overhanging bacon and top with remaining bacon strips.
5. Cover the pans with a double thickness of foil and set in a deep roasting pan. Pour hot water into the roast pan until it reaches ¾ of the way up the loaf pan. Bake for 1¾ hours or until a knife inserted into each of the pâtés comes out clean.
6. Remove pans from water bath. Peel off foil and let cool completely. Cover pâtés with plastic wrap and place one on top of the other, weighted with two 14-ounce cans on top, and refrigerate for 2 days. Can be prepared a week ahead with weights removed after two days.
7. Unmold the pâtés. Slice and serve cold.