Petit pâté de Nîmes

01 / ABOUT THE DISH

About the dish

Petit pâté de Nîmes is a round, handheld pastry made from shortcrust dough, filled with a finely seasoned mixture of pork and veal, offering a firm yet crumbly exterior and a compact, meaty interior. Its creation is attributed to Nîmes bakers in the nineteenth century, most commonly to Delcasso-Vernet toward the end of that century, with another attribution naming Charles Durand in the 1820s, and after a period of decline, the pastry reappeared in the 1950s when it began to be sold again at Les Halles de Nîmes, allowing it to regain a place in local food culture. Preparation begins by making a shortcrust dough from flour, butter, water, and a little salt, then rolling the dough and cutting it into small ovoid shapes; a filling is prepared from finely minced pork and veal mixed perhaps with a small amount of seasonings, the meat mixture is placed inside dough rounds, which are then sealed and shaped, and the filled pastries are baked until the crust is firm and lightly colored and the meat filling is fully cooked and compact. Variations involve slight differences in the proportions of pork to veal, replacing veal and pork with brandade de morue, adjusting the intensity of the spice seasonings, such as additional pepper, and, in some cases, small adjustments to dough thickness. Petit pâté de Nîmes is eaten warm or at room temperature as a snack, starter, or light meal, is commonly purchased in bakeries and served at markets or social occasions, and pairs well with dry rosé, light red wines, or non-alcoholic beverages that complement its savory profile without overpowering the pastry.