Bird Pate

Combine game meat, truffles, and 1/4 cup Cognac, dust with salt and pepper, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Melt butter and cook the shallots in it for about 5 minutes. In a bowl, combine shallots with ground meats, fatback, nuts, wine or more Cognac, eggs, thyme, allspice, and garlic. Drain liquid from game, and add it to meat mixture. Beat smooth with a wooden spoon. Simmer sliced pork fatback or bacon in water for 5 minutes and dry between paper towels; line bottom and sides of 2-quart mold with some of the blanched fatback; reserve some for the top. Divide ground meat mix into thirds. Put one-third in prepared mold, and cover with half of the marinated game. Top with more ground meat, then rest of game, then remainder of ground meat. Put the bay leaf on top and cover with rest of blanched fatback. Cover with foil. Set in pan with boiling water that comes halfway up the sides. Bake at 325 degrees for 1 1/2 hours, or until pate has shrunk slightly from sides. Remove from oven but keep in hot water pan. Weight top of the pate and let it cool completely before removing from the baking dish.

This recipe yields about 15 servings.