Farci poitevin is a traditional cabbage-wrapped vegetable pâté from Poitou, served hot or cold. The French article reproduces a recipe from the July 1967 bulletin of the Société d’ethnologie et de folklore du Centre-Ouest. Here is an English adaptation.
This very green regional dish might almost make you a vegetarian — although this version contains pork.
Serves six to eight, depending on everyone’s appetite.
The day before, gather sorrel, one large lettuce or two small ones, and a well-hearted cabbage.
Wash the vegetables carefully, leaf by leaf, and leave them to drain until the following day.
Finely chop three generous handfuls of sorrel, two of lettuce, one of pale cabbage leaves, a small handful of spring onion whites, a little green garlic and some parsley.
Add 150–200 g of fresh or salted pork belly, diced small, salt, pepper and two handfuls of wheat flour.
Mix thoroughly.
Briefly blanch several large cabbage leaves to soften them.
Line a bowl with a cooking net, then line the net with the cabbage leaves.
Just before filling, stir five or six raw eggs into the mixture. Spoon it onto the cabbage leaves and tie the net securely around the parcel.
Immediately immerse in boiling water and cook for three hours. Drain in a colander, remove the net and serve hot or cold.
The cooking broth can be served as a soup.
For another version, see this recipe video in French.