Name: Country Terrine
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 95 min
Total time: 130 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 700 g pork shoulder (chilled and cut into 2 cm cubes); 250 g chicken liver (trimmed, chilled, and roughly chopped); 150 g pork belly (chilled and cut into 2 cm cubes); 8 slices bacon (thinly sliced for lining the mold); 1 piece yellow onion (finely diced); 2 cloves Garlic (finely minced); 45 ml Cognac (divided); 1 piece pasteurized egg (lightly beaten); 60 ml Heavy cream (cold); 60 g pistachio (roughly chopped); 1 tbsp fresh thyme (leaves picked and chopped); 2 tsp fine salt (divided); 1 tsp Black pepper (freshly ground)

How to prepare

Place the pork shoulder, pork belly, and chicken liver in a large bowl. Add 30 ml of the cognac, 1 teaspoon of salt, and half of the pepper, toss thoroughly, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes while the oven heats.

Heat the oven to 160°C. Warm a small skillet over medium heat, add the onion and garlic with 15 ml of cognac, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until softened and fragrant but not browned. Cool for 5 minutes.

Pulse the marinated pork and liver mixture in a food processor in batches until coarsely minced, retaining some pieces about 5 mm wide. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the cooled onion, egg, cream, pistachios, thyme, remaining salt, and remaining pepper.

Line a 1.5-liter loaf or terrine mold with the bacon slices, overlapping them slightly and leaving enough overhang to cover the top. Press the forcemeat firmly into the mold, tapping it gently on the counter to remove air pockets, then fold the bacon over the surface.

Bacon-lined mold filled with country terrine mixture

AI-generated image

Cover the mold tightly with foil and set it in a deep roasting pan. Pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the mold, then bake for 80 to 90 minutes, until the center reaches 74°C on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove the mold from the water bath and foil. Pour off any excess surface fat if desired, place a piece of parchment on the terrine, and weigh it lightly with a can or small board. Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate under the weight for at least 8 hours.

Run a thin knife around the edges, turn out the terrine, and slice it with a warm, clean knife into eight portions. Arrange with cornichons, mustard, and toasted bread, and serve slightly tempered.

Sliced country terrine served with cornichons, mustard, and toasted bread

AI-generated image

Why this recipe works

A combination of fatty pork shoulder and delicate chicken livers creates a moist, rich slice, while cognac, thyme, and pistachios provide the aromatic lift and textural contrast expected from a traditional French terrine.