Rustic French Meatloaf

Meatloaf-it sounds so homey and I would definitely call it a comfort food. It makes me think of wintry Sunday suppers around the dining room table. I never make a meatloaf in the summer months, but come fall with cooler weather and it’s on my list for upcoming dinners.

I have a massive pile of recipes torn from magazines and newspapers and every once in a while I sit down and look for dishes that would be perfect for the season. I came across this recipe from an old issue of Gourmet (April ’09) and decided to give it a go. What appealed to me was that this recipe resembled a pate, but with less work. We enjoyed it for dinner, but I really l preferred it the next day served cold with slices of a baguette and some cornichons.

Rustic French Meatloaf

1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs (preferably from a country loaf)
1/2 cup whole milk
3/4 cup finely chopped onion
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 pound chicken lives, separated and trimmed
3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground veal
1/4 cup chopped prunes
1/4 cup shelled pistachios
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 large eggs lightly beaten
salt and freshly ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Soak the bread crumbs in milk in a small bowl. Cook onion and garlic and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper in oil in a skillet over medium heat, until onion is softened, about 5 minutes. Cool slightly.

Puree the livers in a blender, then transfer to a large bowl. Add pork, veal, prunes, pistachios, thyme, eggs, bread crumb mixture, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper and gently mix with your hands until just combined.

Transfer the meatloaf mixture to a 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan and bake, covered with foil, until an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees, about 50-55 minutes. Let rest 5 minutes, then unmold and serve.