Sunday, July 07, 2024
Pork Liver Pâté
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb pork liver (provided by a local farm), cubed, membrane and vascular tissue removed
- 1 lb store-bought ground pork
- 0.5 lb pork belly, rind removed, cut in matchsticks
- 2 x 12 oz packages of bacon
- Marsala:
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 2 tbs shallots, finely chopped
- dried sage, pinch of thyme, pinch of fennel seed, pinch of ground clove
- salt and pepper
- shot glass of rye whisky
Technique
- Freeze grinder parts.
- Line a bread mould with bacon. Keep some slices for the top. Chill.
- Mix meats, and put on a tray to partially freeze (30 minutes and up).
- Caramelize onions, herbs. Season. Add whisky. Reduce. Chill.
- Grind meats with the marsala
- Cover with foil and tie down
- Cook in a bain marie
- When core temperature is 145F or so, remove and weight
Notes and Ideas
- Tester: wrap a tbs of the farce in clingfilm, suspend in boiling water until done
- Needs a lot more salt than I thought. The marsala can take a lot of flavourings
- Some recipes use a binder: panade, eggs, or a combination
- Some recipes use cream
- Smoother pate: panade, cream, less meat, grind twice
- Dried fruit: cranberries, cherries. Nuts: pistachios, peanuts, hazelnuts.
- Banh mi flavours. Umame
Labels: charcuterie, in progress, meat, recipe
Vanya, Andrew Scott, National Theatre Live
This was a new translation and adaptation of Chekov's bougie masterpiece, presented by the National Theatre (UK) and distributed as a film to places far and wide. Two things stand out in the text:
1. The matter of the gun.
The gun did not appear in Act 1, and when it appeared (as expected) in Act 4 it was a double-barreled shotgun, not a revolver, and not in Vanya's hands, but in his brother's. The brother shoots both barrels at Vanya, and says "Missed! ... Twice!" rather than " ... Again!". Vanya's less incompetent than Uncle Vanya, and that joke is lost.
2. This rendering of one of the metaphysical issues, again Act 4:
"Can you imagine if it was possible to completely change the way you live your life? To look at your life and ask yourself what you would do if it died. If your old life died. It ended. And then take what's left of your real life and live it properly. How can I do that, Michael? Where do I start?"
This is quoted at https://www.bloomsbury.com/
There are revolutions we may undergo as individuals, and there are revolutions we may undergo collectively. Chekov, in 1897, was already ready for his imaginary bourgeoisie to undergo fundamental change, and that has not been lost. Joke or not.
Now the performance: you may recognize Andrew Scott as an actor. His portrayal of all the characters as distinct, in gesture, voice, and movement, is remarkable. So I'm remarking on it.
If you get the chance to see it, you should.
Labels: #vanya, ntlive, theatre
