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This delicious pate is from the The Big Platter Cookbook by Lou Jane Temple and A. Cort Sinnes.

The authors say, "Everyone should have a pate in their cooking repertoire. this mild version is inspired by a Julia Child recipe, but we replaced the liver with ground veal and the onions with shallots, then added the layers of prunes and hazelnuts. Serve with crackers or toasts made from skinny baguettes. To improve the pate's density and texture, you allow it to cool, cover it with plastic wrap, and weight it with a brick or large can while it chills. Because of this final step, this pate is best made the day before you intend to serve it."

Check out Linda's Appetizer Recipes for more great appetizer ideas.

Country Pate with Prunes and Hazelnuts

3 tablespoons butter
4 shallots, peeled, sliced, and minced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 pound ground chicken breast meat*
1 pound ground veal*
1 pound ground pork*
2 eggs beaten
5 ounces goat cheese
1 cup fresh bread crumbs, packed
3 tablespoons brandy
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon each of ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
About 18 dried and pitted prunes
1/2 cup hazelnuts, lightly toasted (see Note)
Nonstick baking spray for the pan

* Grind them in a food processor or ask your butcher to do it.

** To toast hazelnuts - Spread them on a baking sheet with a lip and toast them in a preheated 350 degrees F. oven for 10 to 12 minutes, until the meat of the nuts is slightly browned. Put the nuts in a clean tea towel and rub them. About 75% of the brown, paper-thin inner skins will come off on the towel and that is usually enough.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Melt the butter in a saute pan and saute the shallots and garlic until soft, 7 to 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sautéed shallots and garlic with the ground chicken, ground veal, ground pork, eggs, goat cheese, bread crumbs, brandy, salt, allspice, cardamom, black pepper, and thyme.

Place 1/3 of this meat mixture in a large loaf pan that has been sprayed with nonstick baking spray. Smooth the top of the mixture with a spatula. Cover with the lightly toasted hazelnuts. Add another 1/3 of the meat mixture, again patting the surface smooth. Place the pitted prunes on top of this layer, about three to a row, six rows total. Cover with the remaining meat mixture.

Place the pate filled pan in a larger pan. Fill the larger pan with water until the liquid is about halfway up the side of the smaller pan. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the juices are almost clear. Remove from oven. Cool the pate for an hour, cover it with plastic wrap, then weight it with a brick or a large, heavy can. Refrigerate overnight.

Removed the pate from the refrigerator and discard the plastic wrap. Run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pate. Cover the pan with a serving platter and flip the pan and the platter upside down. The pate will slip out of the pan, ready for slicing.

Note from Linda: I found that this makes a very large pate loaf.  For most parties, 1/2 of the recipe works well for me.