Recipe Sharing: How to Make Terrine

Pork "head cheese" Terrine en Gélée

This weekend our Cooking Class is about making terrine. Join us for our technique class on Saturday January 20th at 10:30am. Lunch is included. 

When we talk about Terrines we mean a sort of fancy meatloaf.  Terrines and Pâté en Croûte are French inspired meat preparations, seasoned will with spices and maybe a bit of liquor, and served chilled or at room temperature with bread & mustard. Terrines almost always feature at least a little pork, and can also be made from game meat, such as pheasant and rabbit. Terrines are also a big part of the economic use of ingredients in the kitchen; an integral part of Nose to Tail eating.  Let Vincent tell you why this dish is so important and delicious. For lunch we will sample a variety of terrines along with a hearty winter salad and various other traditional accompaniments.  

Terrine with picked pie cherries, butter lettuce and hazelnuts

Rabbit Terrine

Ingredients for 1 terrine

300 g              Boneless Rabbit Meat, diced

100 g              Rabbit Livers, cleaned and diced

300 g              Pork Shoulder, diced

300 g              Pork Back Fat, diced

18 g                Salt

2 g                   Black pepper (about 1 teaspoon)

1 oz                 Brandy

¼ C                 Sweet White Wine

100 g              French shallots, finely diced

2 T.                 Parsley, finely chopped

2 T.                 Tarragon, finely chopped

2 T.                 Chervil, finely chopped

2 T.                 Chives, finely chopped 

100 g              Egg Whites, lightly beaten

Caul fat or thinly sliced back fat to line the terrine

Duck deconstructed

Combine the rabbit, liver, pork shoulder, pork fat, salt, pepper, armagnac and wine in a large bowl. Leave to marinate in the refrigerator overnight.

The next day, push the meat through the coarse plate of a mincer into another large bowl. Add the shallots and herbs and mix well with your hands, then mix in the egg whites.

Preheat the oven to 300°. Line the terrine with the caul fat. Fill the terrine with the farce taking care not to leave any air pockets. Use damp hands to smooth the top of the terrine and slightly mound it up like a loaf of bread. Cover the terrine with aluminum foil and then the terrine lid.

Place the terrine in a hotel pan, then pour boiling water into the pan surrounding the terrine and come halfway up the sides. Bake in the center of the oven until the internal temperature of the terrine reaches 155° when tested with a meat thermometer (about 1½ hours).

Leave the terrine to cool overnight, pressing the terrine with a board and either weights or rubber bands.  Unmold the following day by dipping the terrine in warm water to release it from the mold.  Save the gélée that encases the terrine.