layered ham, chicken and pistachio terrine with brandy pickled pears
SERVES 6—8 1 x 1kg ham hock
1 tbsp olive oil
2 eschallots, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic crushed
1/2 cup dried sour cherries
1/3 cup pistachios, chopped 2 tbsp brandy
1/4 cup finely chopped tarragon Pinch freshly grated nutmeg 500g pork mince
2 eggs
10 long slices prosciutto
1 x 400g chicken breast,
halved horizontally
Brandy pickled pears, to serve Amaranth leaves, to serve Crusty bread, to serve
1 Place the ham hock in a large saucepan; cover with water. Place over medium heat, cover with lid and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 hour, or until meat is tender.
2 Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the eschalots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 minutes. Add cherries, pistachios and brandy; cook for 1 minute. Take off the heat, add the tarragon and nutmeg and season.
3 Remove the rind from the ham hock and discard. Shred the meat (you will need 300g in total). Place in a large bowl, add the eschalot mixture, pork mince and eggs, then mix well to combine.
4 Preheat oven to 1800C fan forced and lightly grease a 7cm x 32cm x 8cm (2 litre-capacity) loaf tin. Line the base with 8 slices prosciutto, overlapping slightly and overhanging the edges of the tin. Press half the pork mixture into the base. Lay the chicken breasts on top, overlapping to create one single layer. Add the remaining pork and press tightly. Lay 2 slices prosciutto on top, fold prosciutto over and cover tightly with foil.
5 Place in a roasting dish and pour boiling water over to come half way up the tin. Cook for 1 hour. Remove from roasting tray. Cover with a heavy weight and refrigerate overnight. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan to release the terrine. Invert and serve with pears, amaranth and crusty bread.
NOTE A great make-ahead starter, this terrine is the perfect start to your Christmas-in-July spread. You can make this terrine 2—3 days ahead and serve cold sliced. This recipe will give a nod to ham without the whole effort of cooking one. If you don’t want to cook a ham hock, use 300g shredded cooked ham.