Making a game bird terrine is a lot of work, but it’s well worth the effort when you want to make a lasting impression on your guests.
You could spend a week studying the distinctions between terrines and pâtés and not fully understand it all, but here’s a good primer: a terrine is a typeof páté that’s cooked in aparticular type of loaf-shaped pan, commonly called a terrine mold.
Ingredients: (Makes 1 Terrine – Serves 18 to 20 As An Appetizer)
- 8 ounces whole boneless upland bird breast
- 1 pound boneless upland bird meat (which can include a mix of legs and breasts and, if available, the hearts and livers)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 6 juniper berries, lightly crushed
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 small bay leaf, torn in half
- 1/2 cup brandy or cognac
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces skinless pork belly, cut into chunks, chilled
- 8 ounces ground pork
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/4 cup shelled pistachios
- 12 (4-inch round) slices pancetta
Cut the 8 ounces of breast meat into 1/2-inch cubes and place them in a small container that has a tight-fitting lid. Place the 1 pound of mixed boneless breast, leg and organ meat in a separate container. Sprinkle the mixed meat with salt and pepper. Divide the juniper berries, garlic, thyme, bay leaf, brandy and oil between the two containers and toss everything to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 8 hours and up to 48 hours.
Preheat the oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit. Grind the mixed meat and pork belly through a 3/16-inch grinder plate into a large bowl. Add the ground pork, 1 tablespoon salt, a generous amount of pepper, the parsley, tarragon and thyme and mix well again. Add the cubed breast meat, cream and pistachios and mix well.
Line the bottom and sides of a 5-cup ceramic terrine mold or loaf pan with overlapping pancetta slices, allowing the pancetta to hang over the sides of the mold. Reserve 2 slices of pancetta. Pack the mold with the pâté mixture, then fold the hanging ends of the pancetta over the pâté. Cover the mold with a sheet of heavy-duty foil and crump tightly to seal.
Place the mold i a roasting pan and fill with boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the mold. Bake until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of the pâté reads 160 Degrees Fahrenheit, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the terrine from the water bath and remove the foil. Cover the top with plastic wrap, then place a terrine board or another board with 2 or 3 heavy cans on top to weight the pâté down. Let the terrine cool on a wire rack, then chill in the refrigerator overnight to let the flavors meld.
To serve, put the mold in a roasting pan of hot water for several minutes to melt the fat surrounding the pâté. Inver the pâté onto a plate and bring to room temperature. Transfer to a clean platter, then slice and serve with crusty bread and Brandied Cherries or Spicy Pickled Red Onions.
Enjoy your Game Bird Terrine!
ALSO WORKS WITH: Virtually any combination of small game or upland birds, including hare, ptarmigan or dove. When cooking with hare or rabbit, substitute loins for the cubed bird breast.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT NEEDED: meat grinder with a 3/16-inch grinder plate; 5-cup ceramic terrine mold or loaf pan; a small board or a terrine board (3/4-inch board that is the precise area of the inside dimensions of your terrine), plus 2 or 3 cans of food to use as weights.
Editor’s Note: This recipe is excerpted from THE MEATEATER FISH AND GAME COOKBOOK available in the Sporting Classics Store.
