COUNTRY PORK TERRINE

A tasty terrine is a great prepare-ahead starter for entertaining and simple to make – think of it as flash meatloaf with a French pedigree.

1kg pork mince (fatty if possible) 350g chicken livers, rinsed, drained, trimmed and finely chopped 200g meat from a ham or cooked bacon hock, chopped 2 banana shallots, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1½ tablespoons green peppercorns, drained ¼ cup finely chopped fresh herbs, eg rosemary, thyme, parsley ½ teaspoon ground allspice 1 egg 3 tablespoons brandy About 300g streaky bacon (enough to line the baking dish)

Heat oven to 180°C. Line a 6-cup capacity terrine or loaf tin with foil.

In a large bowl mix together (with hands is best) all the ingredients except the streaky bacon.

Use the back of a large knife to flatten and stretch each rasher of bacon. Line the baking dish with the bacon, overlapping them slightly and leaving the long ends hanging over the sides.

Fill dish with terrine mixture, pressing down firmly. Fold the over-hanging bacon over top. Cover terrine with a double layer of foil (or a lid, if it has one).

Place dish in a roasting pan and add enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides. Bake 1½ hours or until cooked; the terrine should feel firm when pressed.

Leave to cool then wrap with baking paper then in tinfoil. Refrigerate for at least a day before using to allow flavours to develop.

Turn terrine out and serve at room temperature in thick slices with cornichons, caperberries, toasted bread or crackers. Serves 8