The Pâté chinois is a French Canadian dish similar to the English cottage pie, the beef version of the Shepherd’s pie.
It is a traditional recipe of both Quebec and Acadian cuisine.
It is a dish made with layers of ground beef, sometimes mixed with onions on the bottom layer, corn for the middle layer, and mashed potatoes for the top layer.
Some variations might include potatoes at the bottom and bell peppers added to the ground beef, and the dish is sometimes served with pickled eggs, which are hard-boiled eggs peeled and preserved in a solution of vinegar, salt, spices, and beets, and sometimes served with ketchup.
The origin is quite mysterious, as is the reason for its name; it appears to have first appeared in the 1930s.
One theory suggests that the pâté chinois originated at the end of the 19th century during the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railways when the railway workers were mostly of Asian origin.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Low cost
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 servings
- Cooking methods: Oven
- Cuisine: American
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 1.1 lbs ground beef
- 1.1 lbs corn
- 4 potatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 onion
- 7/8 cup milk
- to taste salt, pepper, oil, and butter
Preparation
Boil the potatoes in salted water, then cut them into small pieces.
Sauté the onion together with the garlic, add the meat to the pan and cook, seasoning with salt and pepper.
Drain the corn from its liquid.
Mash the boiled potatoes with the warm milk and some melted butter, working it into a purée, and season with salt and pepper.
Assemble the layers with the meat base, the corn, and finally the purée; garnish with small pieces of butter and bake in the oven at 356°F for 35 minutes.
For a lactose-free version, you can use clarified butter and plant-based milk.
