Name: Pounti
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 70 min
Total time: 135 min
Yield: 8 thick slices
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 500 g chard leaves — stems removed, thoroughly washed, dried and finely chopped; prepared leaf weight; 300 g ground pork — kept refrigerated until mixing; 100 g smoked bacon — finely diced; 120 g yellow onion — finely chopped; 30 g flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped; 160 g plain wheat flour; 200 g whole egg — 4 large eggs, beaten; 400 ml whole milk; 6 g fine salt; 2 g black pepper — freshly ground; 20 g unsalted butter — softened; for the mould; 160 g whole pitted prunes — 16 prunes, about 10 g each; confirm every prune is pitted

Prep 35 minutes

Cook 70 minutes

Total 135 minutes

Yield 8 thick slices

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cantal pounti with chard, pork and whole prunes

Pounti belongs to the upland cooking of Cantal and neighbouring parts of the Massif Central. Its character comes from an unusual but coherent combination: a large quantity of chopped green chard and herbs, pork, an egg-and-flour batter and whole prunes. It is neither a plain meatloaf nor a sweet clafoutis. The batter, greens and fruit have equal structural importance.

The filling uses ground pork plus smoked bacon, with enough chard to keep the cut surface visibly green. The prunes are pitted before they enter the mould and are spaced through the batter instead of forming one fruit layer. That distribution gives each thick slice both savoury pork and a pocket of sweet prune.

Because raw ground pork and egg are embedded in a dense batter, the centre is the critical point. Bake until a thermometer in the geometric centre reads at least 71 °C and the crumb is set rather than wet. A 30-minute cooling period is then counted before slicing, giving the loaf time to firm while remaining within the two-hour room-temperature limit for prompt refrigeration.

Success points

Dry the washed chard well so extra water does not loosen the batter.
Break up the ground pork thoroughly so there are no dense raw-meat pockets.
Distribute all 16 pitted prunes through the mould and verify 71 °C in the centre.

Ingredients

Savoury batter

500 g chard leaves — stems removed, thoroughly washed, dried and finely chopped; prepared leaf weight
300 g ground pork — kept refrigerated until mixing
100 g smoked bacon — finely diced
120 g yellow onion — finely chopped
30 g flat-leaf parsley — finely chopped
160 g plain wheat flour
200 g whole egg — 4 large eggs, beaten
400 ml whole milk
6 g fine salt
2 g black pepper — freshly ground
20 g unsalted butter — softened; for the mould

Fruit

160 g whole pitted prunes — 16 prunes, about 10 g each; confirm every prune is pitted

Method

Mix and bake

Prepare the greens and meat. Wash the chard thoroughly, dry it well and chop the leaves finely. Chop the onion and parsley, and keep the pork and bacon chilled until the bowl is ready. The chard is clean, dry enough not to drip and finely chopped through the bowl.
Mix the savoury base. Mix the chilled ground pork, bacon, chopped chard, onion and parsley until evenly dispersed. The meat and greens are evenly distributed with no dense clumps of ground pork.
Make the batter. Whisk the flour, beaten egg, milk, salt and pepper until smooth, then fold it through the meat-and-chard mixture. The batter is thick but pourable and no dry flour pockets remain.
Fill the mould. Butter the 23 × 13 cm loaf mould, spoon in half the mixture, distribute the 16 pitted prunes evenly, and cover with the remaining mixture. The 16 prunes are spaced through the mould rather than clustered in one layer.
Bake through the centre. Bake at 180 °C for about 70 minutes. The centre registers at least 71 °C and a skewer meets a firm, set crumb rather than wet batter.
Cool before slicing. Set the hot mould on a rack and cool for 30 minutes before turning out and slicing. The loaf has firmed enough to cut clean slices without the centre slumping.

Serving and planning

Practical

Serving and planning

Serve thick slices warm or at room temperature after the 30-minute cooling period. Pan-reheating slices later is possible, but the base yield is eight slices from one loaf.

Make-ahead

Pounti can be baked earlier the same day, cooled and refrigerated. Slice only after the initial 30-minute set for a cleaner cut.

Storage and reheating

Refrigerate within 2 hours and keep covered for 3–4 days. Reheat slices in a lightly greased pan or covered oven until hot throughout; do not leave reheated slices at room temperature for extended periods.

Valid substitutions

Spinach can produce a related green terrine but changes the chard-led identity. A vegetarian version is a separate variant and should not carry this meat-based formula unchanged.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size1 thick slice, about 240 g
Calories460 kcal
Carbohydrate40 g
Protein27 g
Fat22 g
Fibre5 g
Sodium790 mg

Allergens and food safety

Egg.

Milk.

Gluten from wheat flour.

Keep ground pork cold until mixing and prevent raw-meat cross-contamination.

Bake until the centre reaches at least 71 °C; this also fully cooks the egg batter.

Use pitted prunes and confirm stones are absent before assembly.

Cool for 30 minutes before slicing and refrigerate within 2 hours if not served.

Hot fat, steam and the hot loaf mould are physical hazards.

Closing

Result: a firm, sliceable Cantal terrine with green chard, savoury pork and evenly spaced sweet prunes.
Decisive technique: bake the dense centre to at least 71 °C, then give the loaf the full 30-minute cooling set before slicing.

Cantal pounti with chard, pork and whole prunes

Success points

Ingredients

Savoury batter

Fruit

Method

Practical

Serving and planning

Make-ahead

Storage and reheating

Valid substitutions

Nutrition per serving

Allergens and food safety

Closing

French National Dishes

Profiteroles au chocolat

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