Pâté & Blackberry Canapés

Pork Pâté, Fresh Blackberries, Blackberry Jam, Fleur De Sel
Toasted Pain Rustique Brushed with Olive Oil

The idea for this jaunty little appetizer came from a sublime dish my brother ordered at Bradley Ogden in Caesar’s Palace. It was a seared foie gras with fresh strawberry, strawberry jam, spice cake, and licorice gastrique. The snappy combination of liver and fresh berries with matching jam was simultaneously chic and rustic. The first incarnation appeared on my Thanksgiving hors d’oeuvre table. Truffle Mousse Pâté with Fresh Raspberry, Raspberry Jam & Fleur de Sel was such a hit it keeps reappearing at my parties in a slightly altered form. Most recently, with pork and blackberries.

Choose a bread:

• baguette
• ciabatta
• pain rustique
• brioche
• challah

Choose a pâté:

• pâté de campagne
• truffle mousse pâté
• mousse canard au cognac
• wild mushroom pâté (vegetarian)
• chicken liver
• pork

Choose a ripe berry or fruit:

• strawberry
• raspberry
• blackberry
• apricot
• kiwi
• blueberry

The presentation is simple yet bold. And with a myriad of combinations of breads, pâtés, and fresh fruit – it’s reinvented every time – to rave reviews.  Brush thin slices of bread with olive oil then toast until golden. Let bread come to room temperature. Spread a layer of pâté over the bread, top with a small dollop of a jam that corresponds with the fruit, place a berry or fruit atop the jam. Finish by sprinkling a few grains of fleur de sel on the pâté. Voilà!