Whether you are served it in a small auberge in northern France, a bistrot in the Midi or a Michelin 3-star establishment on the Côte d’Azur, one thing is for sure: terrine de campagne will be full of flavour and texture. This recipe is no exception. Serve with bread, pickles and salad.
preparation time 45 minutes, plus 24 hours’ chilling
cooking time 2 hours
serves 10
Ingredients
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 bay leaves
125 g (4 oz) onions, finely chopped
12 peppercorns
125 ml (4 fl oz) brandy
5 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 sprigs of fresh tarragon
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
175 ml (6 fl oz) white wine
175 g (6 oz) gammon, cut into thick strips
250 g (8 oz) veal (you could use pork fillet), cut into thick strips
750 g (11⁄2 lb) boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thick strips
250 g (8 oz) chicken livers
750 g (11⁄2 lb) streaky bacon rashers
250 g (8 oz) raw ham, minced
3 eggs
1 teaspoon dried herbes de Provence
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Mix together the garlic, bay leaves, onions, peppercorns, half the brandy, 4 tablespoons of the olive oil, tarragon, thyme and white wine. Pour this mixture over the strips of gammon, veal and chicken, cover and chill for 12 hours.
2 Preheat the oven to 180°C, 350°F, gas mark 4.
3 Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan, add the chicken livers and fry for just a few minutes until brown on the outside but still pink on the inside. Remove from the heat and season with salt and pepper.
4 Roughly chop the livers and place them in a bowl. Finely dice 250 g (8 oz) of the bacon and add to the livers with the minced ham, eggs, remaining brandy, herbes de Provence and some salt and black pepper. Mix together thoroughly.
5 Line a 1.5 litre (21⁄2 pint) terrine dish with three-quarters of the remaining streaky bacon rashers. Take the bay leaves from the marinade and place them on the base of the terrine. Cover with a quarter of the pâté mixture. Cover with the strips of veal and top with another quarter of the pâté. Arrange the chicken strips on top and cover with pâté, then a layer of gammon and a final layer of pâté. Cover with the remaining bacon rashers. Pour a little of the marinade over the surface.
6 Cover with cling film and aluminium foil, and a lid if there is one. Sit the terrine in a dish of water and cook in the preheated oven for 2 hours.
7 Remove from the oven and place heavy weights on top of the pâté. Leave to cool, then chill for at least 12 hours. Turn out and slice to serve. The terrine will keep for a week in the fridge and can be frozen.