Game terrine

We were invited to spend Xmas day with friends and said we would bring the first course for the meal. So, for this special meal of the year, what to do? We decided on a game terrine – a recipe that we have had in mind for a long time but never gotten around to making. This was just the occasion we needed to spur us into action.

The recipe comes from a Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall book we bought when we lived in the UK based on his original television series River Cottage. Apart from being not ‘everyday’ fare it also makes rather a lot so you need a crowd to do it justice. He does say that “it was a staple of the farmhouse kitchen” but we’ve all moved on from those days. But a special occasion like Xmas seems just the right time to enjoy this and hopefully, you have the time to make it – not that it is that difficult or time consuming and can be made in advance. So, roll up the sleeves, get Bing Crosby warbling White Xmas, and off we go …

• You need about a kilo of lean game meat – we used rabbit, quail and duck. You could also use; pheasant, pigeon, hare, venison
• oil for frying
• 300g streaky bacon

Forcemeat

• 500g sausage meat
• livers from the game or, if not available, 175g chicken livers, finely chopped
• 2 handfuls of breadcrumbs
• 1 egg
• 3 tbsp finely chopped parsley
• leaves from a sprig of thyme, finely chopped
• 5 – 6 juniper berries, crushed in a pestle and mortar
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• a splash of red wine
• a splash of brandy
• salt and pepper

In a large mixing bowl combine the sausage meat, chopped livers, breadcrumbs, egg, parsley, thyme, juniper berries, garlic, wine, brandy, salt and pepper. Mix everything together, preferably with your hands. It should be moist but not too wet – add more breadcrumbs to get the right consistency.

Cut the game meat into strips of roughly the same size, about 2 fingers thick. Heat some oil in a heavy-based frying pan and fry the game pieces, in batches, for about 2 minutes, until nicely browned.

Remove the rind from the bacon and stretch it with the back of a chef’s knife. Line a 1kg loaf tin or terrine with the bacon, overlapping slightly and leaving the ends hanging over the edges. Arrange a layer of forcemeat in the terrine, followed by a layer of game meat, then another layer of forcemeat, followed by another layer of game meat, etc. seasoning with salt and pepper between layers Aim for at least 3 layers and end with a layer of forcemeat and, by which time, you should be at the top of the dish.

Fold the exposed strips of bacon over the top of the terrine and either cover tightly with kitchen foil or put on the terrine lid. Place the terrine in a roasting tin half filled with hot water and cook in the oven at 170C/ fan 150C/ gas 3 for approximately 1 1/2 – 2 hours. Test with a metal skewer to see if it is cooked – if the skewer does not come out of the terrine piping hot then it is not cooked.

For the best possible texture and easy carving, your terrine should be pressed as it cools. Find a piece of wood or plastic that fits snugly inside the terrine dish, cover it with foil, and weigh it down with something heavy – a brick or, as we did, a large can. Leave until completely cold – for several hours or overnight.

To serve; dip into a bowl of hot water for a minute or two to free the bottom, run a knife around the sides and invert onto a serving plate or cutting board. Slice thickly with a sharp knife and serve with a small salad of lightly dressed leaves, a blob of good fruit chutney or our cranberry and orange relish and good bread or toast.

Tip; getting a roasting tin of boiling water and a heavy terrine into the over without accident can be a bit tricky so; pull out the oven shelf, put the terrine in the empty roasting tin, put this combination onto the oven shelf, pour boiling water from a kettle into the roasting tray, slide the shelf back into the oven.