This recipe looks complicated, but I promise you the results are amazing. Cutting a terrine in half for the first time is one of the joys of being a chef! This makes a great dish for the Christmas period when you have plenty of people around to help you polish it off.
Serves 12
500g pork belly, skinned and chopped
850g game mix – ask your butcher for boneless, skinless mixed venison, pheasant, hare and so on
250g pork liver
50g butter
2 onions, finely chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
6 juniper berries
2 dried bay leaves
2 cloves
1½ teaspoons thyme leaves
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons red wine
2 teaspoons salt
2g saltpetre (optional)
hot toast, to serve
For the cranberry compôte
200g demerara sugar
100ml freshly squeezed orange juice
2cm piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
400g cranberries, defrosted if frozen
½ nutmeg
1 orange
For the port jelly
350ml port
50g caster sugar
3 leaves of gelatine
Preheat the oven to 130°C /Gas Mark ½ and bring a kettle of water to the boil. Line 25 x 10cm terrine or a 1.2 litre ovenproof dish with clingfilm, then leave to one side. Mince the pork belly, game mix and pork liver together and put into a large bowl, then leave to one side.
Melt the butter in a frying pan over a low heat. Add the onion and garlic and fry, stirring, for at least 5 minutes until softened, but not coloured. Remove the pan from the heat and leave the onions and butter to cool, then add them to the bowl with the minced meats.
Grind the juniper berries, bay leaves, cloves, thyme and black pepper together in a spice grinder. Add this spice and herb mix to the minced meats. Add the brandy, red wine, salt and saltpetre, if using. Get your hands in and combine thoroughly. The salt will begin to break down the meat and you will find the mixture becomes a little tighter in your hands.
Push the meat mix into the lined terrine, trying not to have any air bubbles. Bring the clingfilm over the top to seal, then place the terrine’s lid on top (if it has one). Place the terrine in a roasting tray and pour in enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Place the tray in the oven and cook the terrine for 1½–2 hours until the centre of the terrine has reached 70°C on an instant-read thermometer. Remove the terrine from the tray, take the lid off and put a heavy weight on the top to press the meat down. Leave to cool completely, then place in the fridge for 12 hours, still with the weight on top.
Meanwhile, make the cranberry compôte. Place the demerara sugar, orange juice and ginger in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in the cranberries and grate in the nutmeg. Simmer the cranberries, stirring frequently, for about 15 minutes until they soften and form a chutney-like appearance. Grate in the orange zest, then transfer the compôte to a bowl and leave to cool.
To make the port jelly, place the port and caster sugar in a saucepan over a high heat and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. When the sugar has dissolved, remove the pan from the heat and leave to one side.
Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for about 5 minutes until softened. Squeeze out the water, then add them to the warm port mix and stir until the gelatine has dissolved. Pass through a fine sieve into a bowl.
Remove the terrine from its mould and scrape off any excess fat or jelly. Use a ladle to pour the port jelly over the top of the terrine. Place the terrine back into the fridge for about 10 minutes until the jelly sets. You will need to do this 3 or 4 times to get a good layer of jelly.
After the jelly has set, use a long, thin knife to trim the sides of terrine so it looks smart, then slice and serve with the cranberry compôte and toast.
Tom’s Tip
If you want to get ahead over the holiday period, the cranberry compôte will keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to a week.