Country Pâté (Pâté de Campagne)

Set rack at lowest position inoven and preheat to 350°F. Boil

Cognac until reduced to 1/2 cup,about 1 1/2 minutes. Cool.

Melt butter in heavymedium skillet over mediumheat.

Add onion and saut&éuntil soft and translucent butnot brown, about 8 minutes.

Combine ground pork andchopped bacon in large bowl.Using fork or fingertips, mixtogether until well blended.

Add sautéed onion, garlic,2 1/2 teaspoons salt, thyme,allspice, and pepper to bowlwith pork mixture and stiruntil incorporated.

Add eggs,cream, and reduced Cognac.Stir until well blended.

Line 9x5x3-inch metalloaf pan with bacon slices,arranging 8 slices acrosswidth of pan and 3 sliceson each short side of panand overlapping pan on allsides. Using hands, lightlyand evenly press half of meatmixture (about 3 1/4 cups) ontobottom of pan atop baconslices. Arrange ham stripsover in single layer. Top withremaining meat mixture.

Fold bacon slices over,covering pâté. Cover pantightly with foil.

Place panin 13x9x2-inch metal bakingpan and transfer to oven.

Pourboiling water into baking panto come halfway up sides ofloaf pan.

Bake pâté until athermometer inserted throughfoil into center registers 155°F,about 2 hours 15 minutes.

Remove loaf pan frombaking pan and transfer torimmed baking sheet.

Placeheavy skillet or 2 to 3 heavycans atop pâté to weigh down.Chill overnight. Do Ahead Canbe made 4 days ahead.

Place loaf pan with pâtéin larger pan of hot water forabout 3 minutes. Invert pâtéonto platter; discard fat fromplatter and wipe clean.

Cut pâtécrosswise into 1/2-inch slices.

* Tiny French pickles; availableat specialty foods stores.