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Petit pâté de Pézenas facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

The Petit pâté de Pézenas is a special pastry from the town of Pézenas in the Hérault area of France. It looks like a big cotton reel. This small pie has a golden, crispy crust and a sweet, moist filling inside. You can eat it as a starter, with a salad, or as a dessert. You can find these pastries in bakeries all over Pézenas. Their story is quite interesting! People say that Lord Clive, a famous British person, brought the recipe from India in 1768. He was staying in Pézenas and supposedly taught the local bakers how to make it. However, it's more likely that his servants shared the recipe.

Protecting the Pastry

A special group called the Confrérie du petit pâté de Pézenas was started in 1991. Their goal is to "promote and defend the Petit pâté de Pézenas." To make sure the recipe stays safe and doesn't get taken by others, this group officially registered it. They filed the recipe with the National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI) in France. This gives the recipe legal protection, like a copyright for food!

How to Make Petit Pâté de Pézenas

Here is a traditional way to make this unique pastry.

Ingredients

  • 200 grams of lean roast mutton
  • 100 grams of sheep suet (a type of fat)
  • 75 grams of lard (another type of fat)
  • 250 grams of flour
  • 5 soup spoons of brown and white sugar
  • Lemon peel
  • Salt and pepper

Method

  1. Mince the mutton, fat, sugar, lemon peel, salt, and pepper together.
  2. Mix the lard, flour, a pinch of salt, and a little water to make the dough.
  3. Knead the dough until it is smooth. Then, roll it out and shape it into small cylindrical pots.
  4. Fill these dough pots with the meat and sugar mixture.
  5. Let the filled pastries rest for 24 hours.
  6. Cook them in a hot oven for about 35 to 40 minutes.
  7. Serve them warm.

The same sweet and savory filling is also used in another pastry called Tourte de Pézenas, which is made with flaky pastry.

In Popular Culture

The Petit pâté de Pézenas has even appeared on TV! In the BBC TV show MasterChef: The Professionals, on November 27, 2012, a famous chef named Michel Roux, Jr. showed how to cook this dish. He then set it as a "classic recipe" challenge for the contestants to make.

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