Taste the stuffed poitevin
Le poitevin stuffed, or herb pâté, is a little piece of Poitou heritage. This tasty and generous dish reflects the friendly character of our beautiful region. By discovering all the secrets of stuffed poitevin, you will perpetuate this delicious culinary tradition, or the memory of your stay in the Vienne back home.

The origins of stuffed Poitevin
It’s difficult to say when the farci poitevin dates back as it seems to come from time immemorial. However, it seems present in the countryside from the 19th centurynd century.
Where does its name come from?
To the west of Poitou, this typical savory specialty has always been called “far”. The term "stuffed" seems to have appeared in southern Vienne before spreading to a very large part of the region. Thus, it designates, as elsewhere in France, a mixture of various ingredients intended to garnish a vegetable.
Note that the terms "vegetable pâté" or "herb" or "green terrine" refer to the same dish. This specialty is essentially made up of green leafy vegetables or aromatic herbs.
How was he born?
Like other savory dishes, farci poitevin is a country specialty. Considered the dish of the poor, it used to allow you to use all the leftover meat from previous days, mixing it with herbs and green vegetables from the garden. We garnished cabbage leaves that we plunged into the broth of a hen in the pot or a hotpot to cook it. It is therefore a avant-garde zero waste dish!
Despite its simple and inexpensive image, it often brightened up large tables at important family events. Convivial and comforting, it was also on the menu of harvest meal in autumn.
Poitevin stuffed recipe
Like all traditional peasant dishes, the recipe for farci poitevin is not set in stone. The idea being to use leftover meat, combined with the vegetables and herbs available, components and proportions may vary. We can therefore consider that there are as many recipes as there are cooks. And even more likely! Many indeed modify the preparation according to what they have on hand when they are in the kitchen.
The ingredients and the process of the traditional recipe
Here is a recipe for tasty Poitevin stuffing which you can draw inspiration from. Do not hesitate to adapt the ingredients and the quantities according to your tastes and the season. Your recipe will only be better!
- Blanch 7 to 8 leaves of kale for a few minutes. Keep them aside after carefully removing the tough part of the ribs.
- After having washed and chopped 500 g of spinach, the greens of a bunch of chard and 4 leeks, brown them over medium heat in butter
- Slice and brown 1 white onion, 2 shallots and 2 cloves of garlic, with 200 g of fresh pork belly cut into large pieces of bacon
- Cut 200 g of smoked brisket into bacon pieces
- Mix everything in a large salad bowl. Add 3 eggs, 2 tablespoons of flour and 20 cl of heavy cream. Season to your liking.
The cooking technique
The cooking technique for this green terrine is very particular. It is very important and gives the dish its freshness and suppleness. If it seems delicate on paper, rest assured, the process is not that complicated:
- In the absence of a special net, simply take a large cloth and spread it in a colander or a well-rounded salad bowl
- Then line the cloth with blanched cabbage leaves, taking care to overlap them well.
- Pour the mixture into the salad bowl and close with cabbage leaves.
- Fold the cloth over and tie it tightly with roasting twine.
- Immerse the stuffing in broth for 4 hours
- Once cooking is complete, remove it from the broth
If you want it eat hot, invite everyone to the table! If you prefer eat it cold, wait a bit before placing it in the refrigerator and taking it out the next day.
If you are in a hurry, you can place the preparation in a gratin dish and cook it in the oven for 30 to 40 minutes. You thus obtain a variant called the Charentais stuffed.
How to eat stuffed poitevin?
This delicious vegetable terrine is very practical, because it can be cooked in advance and can be eaten in several ways. But if you don't want to go into the kitchen, don't worry, you can find them all over the department.
Where to buy it?
If you want to take full advantage of your moment of tasting, do not hesitate to stop in a restaurant offering herb pâté on its menu. You will thus take the time to savor it in the best conditions.
To eat it at home, you will find it, sold by the slice, at most butchers or caterers in the Vienne. Each having their own recipe, a small comparison is essential before selecting the terrine that will most appeal to your taste buds. A good excuse to have fun!
The Les Mets d'Aimé brands from CFP Gastronomie and UPAL also offer a version in jars, very practical on a picnic or to extend the pleasure after the holidays.
How to serve it?
You therefore have several options for eating the most famous savory specialty of Poitou.
It mainly uses cold as a starter, accompanied by a salad or raw vegetables.
As a main course, it is just delicious straight out of the broth, as an accompaniment to a roast or grilled meat.
Our little secret : once cooled, cut the terrine into slices and reheat it in the pan, lightly grilling it. A true delight !
Our tasting advice
It seems that a specialty is even better if it is tasted with a wine from its territory of origin. We therefore strongly advise you to select a red wine from Haut-Poitou, fruity and slightly spicy, to bring out all the flavors of the terrine.
If you are as greedy as we are, the stuffed poitevin should delight you from the first tasting. During your visit to the region, be sure to also taste the cheese cake visit us at the Chabichou from Poitou and AOC Saumur-Nord wines Vienne. The local gastronomy is so rich that it will leave you with indelible memories!