FESTIVE PORK TERRINE

This dish looks impressive but it’s really easy to prepare. Make it a day or two beforehand and store it in the fridge.

Makes 1 terrine • Preparation: 30 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour and 30 minutes Oven temperature: 180°C

• about 140g Parma ham

• 500g fresh pork bangers with sage

• 500g pork mince

• 30ml dried cranberries

• 15ml brandy or whiskey

• 5ml Dijon mustard

• a generous dash of freshly grated nutmeg

• a generous pinch of Maldon salt

• black pepper to taste

• 50g pistachio nuts, coarsely chopped

• 5 sprigs thyme, leaves stripped

1 Preheat the oven. Line a 1L loaf pan with the ham. Allow some of the ham to hang over the edge of the pan so that you can fold it over the filling later, and make sure the slices overlap slightly, with no gaps in between.

2 Remove the casings of the pork bangers and mix the meat with the rest of the ingredients. Spoon the filling into the prepared pan so that it’s just higher than the top of the pan – the meat will shrink as it cooks. Fold the ham over the filling, then wrap the filled pan tightly with a double layer of foil.

3 Place the terrine in an ovenproof dish and fill the dish with hot water halfway up the pan. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.

Carefully remove the terrine from the water.

TIP Carefully lift off the foil and pour out any liquid that has accumulated around the meat. If you leave the liquid, it forms a delicious jelly layer over the terrine, but it doesn’t look too appetising for serving. Close the foil again.

4 Place a weight (like a chopping board and some tins) on top of the terrine to compact it, and allow to stand until cooled. Refrigerate overnight, weight and all. Serve the terrine at room temperature with your choice of bread (such as our no-knead wholewheat loaf; see recipe, right), crackers and extras like sun-dried tomatoes, gherkins, pickled onions and mustard.

Garnish with edible flowers and herbs.