Chicken Terrine

Chicken Terrine © kvalifood.com

Chicken terrine is a festive pâté made from a poulard (large hen) with strips of meat marinated in white wine, a forcemeat of pork and veal, and sautéed mushrooms. The terrine is baked slowly in a water bath and served cold in slices with jelly and crusty bread. A project, but the result is worth the effort.

Ingredients

  • 1 large poulard (approx. 1500 g)
  • 300 g unsalted boiling bacon, rind removed
  • 200 g veal, lean
  • 1½ dl dry white wine
  • 1 dl light port wine (or Madeira)
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 2 eggs
  • 3-4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp gelatine powder
  • 1 tsp Madagascar pepper, finely chopped
  • 250 g mushrooms
  • 15 g butter
  • large thin slices fresh back fat (lard)

To serve

  • crusty bread
  • meat jelly (aspic)

Directions

Marinate the breast meat

Remove the skin from the poulard in one piece. Cut off the breast fillets and slice them into strips. Marinate in half the white wine, the port wine, and thyme for at least 4 hours, preferably overnight.

Make the forcemeat

Cut the remaining meat from the bones. Mince it through a meat grinder together with the boiling bacon and veal. Mix the forcemeat with the remaining wine, seasoning, gelatine powder, eggs, and finely chopped pepper. Sauté sliced mushrooms in butter for 2 minutes and fold them into the forcemeat. Leave the forcemeat to rest for at least 3 hours.

Assemble the terrine

Drain the marinade from the meat strips and stir it into the forcemeat. Line a terrine or pâté mould with slices of back fat. Layer the forcemeat and meat strips, beginning and ending with forcemeat. Cover with the hen’s skin (fat side down) and lay herb sprigs on top. Cover with a lid or foil.

Bake in a water bath

Bake in a water bath in the oven at 345°F (175°C) for about 1½ hours. Remove the terrine, cover with foil and a lid, and leave to cool under a weight. Best after a night in the refrigerator.

Serving

Remove the skin. Slice the terrine and serve with meat jelly and crusty bread.

Notes

  • The terrine requires planning: overnight marinating, resting of the forcemeat, baking, and cooling under a weight.
  • Meat jelly (aspic) for the terrine is made from the hen carcass boiled with aromatics and set with gelatine.
  • Madagascar pepper (or green pepper) gives a mild, aromatic heat.
  • Can be frozen for up to 3 months — thaw under a weight.
  • Port wine can be replaced with Madeira for a slightly different flavour profile.