Pâté Chinois

Method

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1. Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Boil the potatoes in salted water for 20 minutes, until tender. Drain and mash with the butter, milk and salt until smooth.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

2. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and cook the onion for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the beef and cook for 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

3. Stir in the thyme, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Spoon the beef into a 23 x 33 cm baking dish and press it down into an even layer.

   Mark done Start 2 min timer

4. Mix the creamed corn and whole kernel corn and spread over the beef.

   Mark done

5. Spoon the mashed potatoes over the corn and spread them to the edges. Rough up the top with a fork and sprinkle with the paprika.

   Mark done

6. Bake for 30 minutes, until the top is golden and the edges are bubbling. Rest for 10 minutes before serving with ketchup or pickled beets.

   Mark done Start 30 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Mash the potatoes until they are smooth and fairly stiff. Loose mash sinks into the corn.
• Brown the beef properly and drain off any extra fat. Wet beef makes a soupy pâté.
• Rough up the top of the potato with a fork. The ridges brown and crisp in the oven.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried thyme at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Ketchup
• Pickled beets
• A green salad

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 4 days and reheat in a 180°C oven for 20 minutes. Freeze for 3 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.