April 10, 2020

Pate Chaud

Pate Chaud

Here’s another meat pie recipe that is quite different than the other one I previously posted about. This meat pie is wrapped in pastry dough and is a staple at parties in our family. We usually order Pate Chaud catering style but store bought just doesn’t compare to my aunt, Co Hop’s, version.

When I asked Co Hop for the recipe, I got the usual vague measurements. However, after consulting with my cousin Ginie (her daughter) as well as cross-referencing many recipes online, I was able to get the flavor profile right on the first try! As my aunt pointed out, we all have the luxury these days of easily attainable frozen puff pastry dough so making Pate Chaud is almost completely foolproof.

All of the ingredients needed, minus ground pork and egg for egg wash.

One interesting thing I noticed about Pate Chaud is that there’s quite a lot of variation between recipes. Whereas with other recipes I’ve previously attempted, I found many similarities between recipes found online and those given by my family. Ingredient-wise, what sets my aunt’s recipe apart is the soy flavor and the heartiness added by mushrooms (note: she actually uses canned button mushrooms but said that it can be substituted by fresh button or shitake). Another difference I found is that she recommends cooking the meat halfway rather than stuffing it raw to prevent the meat from sticking to the pastry dough.

Half cooked meat with the rest of the ingredients combined.
  • Pastry dough defrosted and cut
  • 1-2 tablespoons of meat per puff pastry

I have to admit the first couple of batches were not the prettiest but no one cared. Between our family of 4 and my cousin’s family up the street, we devoured about 20 within 24 hours.

Of all the recipes I’ve posted so far, this one is probably the most enjoyed by my family and also a fun one to involve the kids. Bon appetit!

Print Recipe

Pate Chaud

This recipe comes from my aunt, Co Hop. She has made this for years in our family and everyone agrees the way she makes it is above and beyond what we can get at the store (although store-bought is still very delicious).
Prep Time35 mins
Cook Time25 mins
Total Time1 hr
Course: Appetizer
Cuisine: Vietnamese
Keyword: meat pie
Servings: 24 pieces

Ingredients

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1/2 large yellow onion or 1 small one
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 4 oz fresh shitake or button mushrooms my aunt typically uses 1/2 can of button mushrooms
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1 tbsp Maggie soy sauce
  • 1 egg, yolk and whites separated
  • 2 sheets puff pastry (most packages come with 2 but Dufour only comes with 1)

Instructions

  • Defrost pastry dough per instructions (usually takes anywhere from 1-2 hours)
  • Finely dice onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
  • Heat oil in a large pan. Cook onions first until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute then mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes. Then add salt, pepper, and meat, cooking until meat starts to brown but isn't completely cooked, another 3 minutes. Lastly, turn off the heat and stir in sugar and soy sauce.
  • When pastry dough is firm but no longer frozen, unroll/unfold and cut dough into ~2-3" squares. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
  • Two at a time: brush BOTH squares with egg white around the edges. Add 1-2 tablespoons of meat in the center of one square and place the other square on top. Use fingers or a fork to press edges together. Place on a baking sheet lined with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.
  • Place entire tray of assembled Pate Chaud in the freezer for 5 -10 minutes to firm up pastry.
  • Remove Pate Chaud from the freezer, brush top of pastries with egg yolk, and pierce with a fork 3 times per pastry.
  • Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown on top.
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