Mom’s Pâté Chaud (Vietnamese Meat Pies)

When Cultures Merge

Pâté chaud is one of my favorite examples of what happens when a food item gets adapted from one culture into another. It originated during the French colonization period of Vietnam when Vietnamese cooks started adapting French baking techniques. In the case of pâté chaud (or bánh patê sô in Vietnamese) French puff pastry got stuffed with a savory meat filling. When my family immigrated to the United States over 50 years ago, my mother discovered that canned biscuits made a good substitute for puff pastry and started making her pâté chaud using layered biscuits. It’s how I have eaten pâté chaud for almost my entire life and it’s the only version my kids have ever known.

How to Assemble Pâté Chaud

The most important step in making this pâté chaud is buying the correct kind of biscuit. Really. Regardless of brand, the key is to get a big layered biscuit because the first thing you’re going to do after removing the biscuits from the can is to open up the biscuit like a clam shell and having the layers makes it much easier.

Once the biscuit is opened, place the filling inside, and then gently stretch the layers around the filling, squeezing out any air and pinching the edge closed all the way around.

Finally, crimp the edge by firmly pressing the tip of a fork all the way around to ensure each biscuit is well sealed.

Mom’s Pâté Chaud (Vietnamese Meat Pies)

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• Author: Nguyet Vo
• Prep Time: 60 minutes
• Cook Time: 30 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Yield: 16 pâté chaud
• Category: Main
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: Vietnamese

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Description

This is my mother’s version of the classic Vietnamese meat pie, pâté chaud. This version uses flaky layered biscuits for the pastry instead of the usual puff pastry but it still has the flavorful filling of ground meat seasoned with oyster sauce, onions, and fish sauce. The traditional puff pastry version feels like a snack, mom’s version feels like a meal.

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil (such as avocado oil)
• 1 teaspoon mushroom bouillon powder or Asian mushroom seasoning granules (see Note 1)
• 1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon MSG
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound ground turkey or ground pork (I use 93% lean ground turkey)
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dry sherry
• 3/4 cup frozen peas & carrots, thawed
• 2 cans (8 count) big layered biscuits (I use Pillsbury Grands! Original Flaky Layers Biscuits) 
• 1 egg, well beaten to use as an egg wash

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Instructions

1. Prep. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Sauté onions. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium-low heat. Add onions and cook for 3-5 minutes until onions are soft. Let cool for about 5 minutes before using.
3. Prep seasonings. In a small bowl, mix together mushroom powder, garlic powder, celery salt, sugar, pepper, MSG, and kosher salt. Set aside. In another small bowl, mix together oyster sauce, fish sauce and sherry. Set aside.
4. Make filling. In a medium bowl, mix together ground turkey, spice mixture, fish sauce mixture, onions, and peas & carrots until evenly mixed.
5. Form meatballs. Divide the filling into 16 portions and roll into balls. I use a cookie scoop to scoop portions of filling onto a plate and then roll.
6. Assemble. Open one can of biscuits and place biscuits on one of the prepared baking sheets. Working with one biscuit at a time, use your thumbs to gently create a pocket between the layers in the center. Open the biscuit like a clam shell being careful to not completely separate the halves. Place a meatball in the pocket then close the biscuit by gently stretching the layers around the filling, squeezing out any air and pinching the edge closed all the way around. Repeat with remaining biscuits and second can.
7. Crimp. Crimp the edge of each biscuit by firmly pressing the tip of a fork all the way around to ensure each biscuit is well sealed.
8. Bake. Place baking sheets in heated oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove baking sheets from oven and brush the tops of each biscuit with the beaten egg. Return the baking sheets to the oven and bake for an additional 20-25 minutes or until the exteriors are golden brown and the internal temperature is 165 degrees F.

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Notes

1. My mother uses Po Lo Ku brand Asian mushroom seasoning granules but I have only seen it available at Asian grocery stores or on-line. Mushroom bouillon powder is easier to find and I have found it works as well in this recipe as the Asian mushroom seasoning granules.
2. Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Freeze paté chaud in a single layer to prevent sticking.
3. To reheat leftovers, place paté chaud (thaw first if frozen) on a baking sheet and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for 10 minutes or until internal temperature is 165 degrees F. Remove foil and bake for an additional 2-3 minutes until exterior is a little crisped.