Pork, duck and pistachio terrine Danielle Alvarez
MAKES 1 TERRINE
“Don’t cut any corners, start with great fresh ingredients and you’ll have a beautiful and professional-looking terrine,” says Alvarez. “I like to serve this with grilled bread and fruit chutney, or with frisée lettuce and a mustardy dressing.”
3 tbsp duck fat 120 gm finely diced onion 1 bay leaf, plus 3-4 extra to decorate 3 thyme sprigs, on the stem 40 thin slices pancetta or lardo 1 egg 100 ml cream 50 ml cognac or Armagnac 18 gm plain flour 850 gm coarsley minced fatty pork 10 gm finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 200 gm duck livers, cleaned and roughly chopped
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 2½ tsp fine salt
⅛ tsp curing salt for cooked goods (see note) 70 gm toasted pistachios
SPICE MIX 3 gm each ground ginger and ground coriander 4 gm each ground cloves and ground nutmeg 5 gm ground cinnamon 10 gm white pepper
1 For spice mix, combine spices and store in an airtight jar. This recipe makes more than you need for this terrine.
2 Heat duck fat in a frying pan over low heat and fry onion with bay leaf and thyme until soft but not coloured.
Set aside to cool completely.
3 Line a 1.5 litre (6 cup) capacity terrine mould with overlapping slices of pancetta. Leave slices hanging over the side so you can wrap them around the finished terrine. Preheat the oven to 150°C.
4 Combine egg, cream, cognac and flour in a bowl and whisk, then push through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Combine with remaining ingredients, except additional bay leaves, and 1/2 tsp spice mix in a large mixing bowl. It’s important that you whip the ingredients together using your hands or a stiff spatula, as this is what makes the terrine stick together and not fall apart when sliced. Pour finished mix into lined terrine. Wrap overhanging pancetta over the top, arrange bay leaves on top and cover the whole terrine with aluminium foil. Place terrine in a deep roasting tin and pour in enough water to come halfway up the side of the terrine. Bake until internal temperature reads 57-59°C on a cooking thermometer. Remove from oven and water bath and allow to cool until warm. 5 Cut a piece of cardboard the same size as the top of the terrine, then wrap in foil. Place on top of terrine and refrigerate overnight with a heavy pan or oil bottle on top, weighing it down.
6 The following day, remove weight and drop terrine into a shallow tray with boiling water to release it from the sides. Run a thin sharp knife around edges and gently pop terrine out. Serve slices with toasted bread and fruit chutney, or with a frisée or chicory salad and a sharp mustardy dressing. Terrine can be kept in the fridge for up to 1 week.
Note Curing salt, generally a mixture of table salt and sodium nitrite, is used for preserving meats. It is available from specialty stores or online from Smoked & Cured (smokedandcured.com.au).