Food processor if chopping your own meat rather than asking your butcher
Temperature probe (this is a good investment to have in your cooking drawer)
Ingredients
250gBoned pork shoulder, cut into 3cm dice or ask your butcher to mince to a coarse texture (easy option)try for locally sourced produce
250gBoned belly of pork, cut into 3cm dice or ask your butcher to mince to a coarse texture (easy option)try for locally sourced produce
250gSmoked streaky bacon, cut into 3cm dice or ask your butcher to mince to a coarse texture (easy option)try for locally sourced produce
300gPigs liver, cut into 3cm dicetry for locally sourced produce
1medium organic or free range egg
6pinches of salt
1pinch of freshly ground black pepper
4Juniper berries, crushed
2pinches of Five-spice powder
1/2tspFresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
50mlcognac
20gPistachios or almonds or hazelnuts
1fresh bay leaf
2sprigs fresh thyme
Instructions
Put your oven on to pre-heat it to 160C
To chop the meat... (I usually ask the butcher to coarsely mince it so have no need for this step) use your food processor on pulse.Add the diced pork shoulder and pulse until a coarse texture. The remove to a large bowl.Repeat with the belly pork, bacon and liver.Then combine all the meats together in the bowl.
Add the egg, salt, pepper, juniper berries, five-spice, thyme, nuts, cognac and mix well.
Tip the mix into your terrine dish and with a spoon, press and pack the meat mix into the dish. Make sure it's compact and there are no air pockets.Place the bay leaf and thyme sprigs in the top and press them in a little.
Cover the terrine loosely with a piece of greaseproof buttered paper. Then put the terrine dish in the roasting tin. Place in the oven and then pour boiling water into the roasting tin until it's approx 2/3's of the way up the side of the terrine dish.Leave to cook for 1 hour
The terrine should be cooked when the inside is at 65 - 70C and should have a slightly rounded top (it's worth investing in a temperature probe to check this and use it on many other dishes).
Once cooked, leave to cook at room temperature for around 2 hours. Ideally, leave for 2 days in the fridge to mature (make sure you wrap it in cling film first).
Serve with fresh crusty bread.
Notes
TIP:To remove the terrine from the dish, dip a knife into hot water (or hold the blade over a gas flame and slide it down the sides to loosen it. Then turn the dish upside down and tap the base to free it.Inspired by Raymond Blanc's Pate de Campagne