My mother would often say that I was ‘fissata’….fixed, almost obsessed….and I guess I am at the moment with making terrines and pâtes. And the many I have made lately are turning out just fine. (I have made three terrines and two pâtes in two weeks – all taken to friends’ places)
I think that one of the many things I like about making the above is that weights and measurements are not important. You can have a rough idea about the meats you want to buy, the herbs you would like to use, the alcohol you wish to use as a flavouring, texture you wish to achieve (layered strips of meat, shredded, minced, mousse) and off you go.
For the terrine above I used minced chicken, minced pork and twice the amount of yearling beef (low fat – I hate beef fat!) – all free range and preservative free. At times, I have used my food processor to mince different meats. Quantities were roughly 450g of pork, 450g of chicken and about 800g of yearling.
The herbs are fresh thyme and sage.
The alcohol was white wine and brandy. The only type of brandy I had at home was Vecchia Romagna, too good to cook with, but never mind.
I used nutmeg and salt and ground black pepper. I added pistachio nuts and more thyme.
I mixed it all up and left it overnight, but is OK to macerate just for a few hours.
Bacon is an important ingredient in terrines – moisture and fat. I trimmed the bacon and lined the terrine with the strips. My bacon rashes were not long enough to hang over the side, but this did not matter as I used other bacon strips to cover the terrine
I added the minced meats on top.
And placed more bacon to cover it. I used baking paper and a lid from my other terrine mold and placed it in a baine -marie, i.e. a hot water bath – mine was made with a roasting pan large enough to hold the terrine and deep enough for the water to come at least half way up. The purpose of cooking food via a bain-marie is that it creates a gentle heat around the food and results in a uniform cooking process.
I cooked it on 195C for two hours.
When you take off the lid and paper you will notice that the terrine has shrunk and there will be liquid around the meat. All good news – the liquid will turn into very flavourful jelly and the meat will need to be pressed. This is easily done by putting a wight on top.
I used a new piece of paper and an another terrine pan filled with water to press it. At other times I have used bricks and stones – be adventurous (another reason why I like making them).
Leave it overnight in the fridge for the flavours to mature (longer if you wish). When you are about to serve it, run a knife around the edges, turn it upside down and WOW.This one was taken to a holiday house at Balnarring Beach, Terrines are just so portable!
OK, it may not be Sicilian butI think that Sicilians would like it. if you wish to make a Sicilian Terrine see Gelatina:
GELATINA DI MAIALE. Pork Brawn
CHIARAMONTE in South-Eastern and the best butcher in Sicily (he also makes smallgoods)
Looks like a beautiful work of art, and I’m sure very tasty.
Delicious looking! Do you have a recipe for a vegetarian version too? Liz
Hi, there should be plenty of vegetable terrines on the web.
A quick response.
Most of the vegetable terrines I have made are held together with pureed chicken, but the easier vegetarian terrines I have made, have either been with layers of pureed vegetable and baked or made with grilled vegetables.
The purred vegetables: cook zucchini, carrots, spinach separately, drain, puree separately. Add eggs, cream/ butter, a little cornflour if you do not use butter, nutmeg, seasoning, herbs to each vegetable layer. Layer and bake beine- marie. Once cooked, pressed down with a weight overnight.
Grilled vegetable terrine: zucchini, green and red peppers, eggplants all cut longwise and placed in layers with a little egg and herb mayonnaise or a thick tomato salsa in between to keep the layers together. Pressed down with a weight overnight.