A classic for the ages…
Terrine is one of those old-fashioned classics that may seem complicated and daunting – but it’s just a fancy meatloaf! Once you’ve got your ingredients, it’s all pretty straight forward. To make it well, the key is to remember the basics: season extra well, make sure the mince is really coarse, and deglaze liberally with some booze before mixing everything together. Don’t bother with a small batch, make this quantity at least (or double / triple it), then pop the extra in the freezer uncut and well-sealed for later.
To serve, a crunchy green salad dressed with simple French dressing and thick slabs of warm sourdough goes perfectly. Add some crunchy diced roast potatoes if you need. We serve it with pickles, the crisped chicken skin and beetroot relish.
– Enjoy, Kim Currie
Ingredients
- 1 kg chicken mince*
- 3 eggs
- 50 g butter
- 50 ml olive oil
- 1 large onion, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, sliced
- 100 g pistachios, lightly toasted
- 100 g dried apricots, diced
- 50 g currants
- One bunch mixed fresh herbs (I like thyme, sage and marjoram), chopped
- A few fresh bay leaves
- 250 ml Lowe Muscat (or other wine, dessert is best)
- 1 dsp Dijon mustard
- A pinch of nutmeg
- 2 dsp sea salt flakes
- 1 dsp white pepper
- 100 g chicken liver, chopped (optional)
- 1 cup of chicken stock (optional)
*If possible source or make very coarse mince from chicken with the skin on. You can also dice it by hand or machine to achieve the desired consistency. We do this from whole Sommerlad chickens which ensures the real chicken flavour, and use a mixture of breast, thigh and liver which makes the terrine even more interesting.
Method
In a pan gently sauté the onion and garlic in the melted butter and olive oil for several minutes until translucent, add the herbs and seasoning for the last few minutes. While still over the heat add the currants and apricots and deglaze with the muscat. Remove from the heat when the liquid has mostly been absorbed and the mixture is jammy. Allow to cool.
In a mixing bowl, combine the cooled mixture with all the other ingredients and mix well. Your terrine is now ready to cook. You can do this a number of ways. The easiest is to press the mixture into a terrine pan or loaf dish (lined with baking paper) then follow the instructions below. I prefer to roll the terrine filling in baking paper to form a log, then line these up against each other in a roasting dish, cover with a little chicken stock and cook. You could also wrap the terrine mix in savoury pastry to create the classic pâté en croûte.
Cook at 140°C for 45 minutes or until it feels firm to the touch (or reaches an internal temperature of 65°C). Leave to chill in the cooking container, this allows the stock to settle and create a nice layer of jelly (which you should serve with the terrine). You can also press the terrine while it is cooling to create a texture that is extra firm, but it’s not necessary.
Slice in your desired thickness and serve chilled with your chosen accompaniments, then enjoy!
