CLASSIC CHICKEN TERRINE
Make your first terrine wtih my recipe for terrine de volaille à l'ancienne
A terrine is usually made with meat cut by hand, layered through the farce, so when sliced, it looks like a beautiful mosaic. Same family, same farce, but a different result on the plate. And because you can see inside a terrine, it asks for a little more care in how you build, cook and rest it. Here’s my recipe for terrine de volaille à l'ancienne (old-fashioned chicken terrine): strips of chicken layered through a pork farce, with a line of golden mushrooms through the centre. There is no liver in this one.
INGREDIENTS
2 skinless chicken breasts, about 350 g (12 oz)
6 g (1 tsp) fine sea salt, for the chicken
Freshly ground black pepper, a pinch
Quatre épices, a pinch
30 g (1 oz) unsalted butter, divided
2 shallots, finely chopped
150 g (5 oz) small button mushrooms, quartered
400 g (14 oz) skinless pork belly, minced
200 g (7 oz) skinless chicken thighs, minced
11 g (⅓ oz) fine sea salt, for the farce
1 egg
2 tbsp chopped flat-leaf parsley
30 ml (1 fl oz) cognac
MISE EN PLACE
Start the day before so the meat can macerate overnight. You will need a 1 litre (1¾ pint) terrine with a lid, a mincer (or ask your butcher to mince the pork belly and chicken thighs for you) and a probe thermometer. Choose small, firm button mushrooms (champignons de Paris), because they hold their shape best in the slice.
METHOD
Cut each chicken breast lengthways into three or four long strips. Season with the salt, a pinch of pepper and a pinch of quatre épices, then cover and keep in the fridge overnight.
Melt half the butter in a pan and cook the shallots gently until soft, without colour. Set them aside to cool. In the same pan, melt the rest of the butter and sauté the mushrooms over a high heat until golden and all their water has evaporated. Season lightly and leave them to cool. You want them dry, or they will make the terrine wet.
Mix the minced pork belly and chicken thighs with the farce salt, the cooled shallots, a little pepper and quatre épices. Cover and leave in the fridge overnight with the chicken.
The next day, preheat the oven to 150°C (300°F), or 130°C fan. Add the egg, parsley and cognac to the farceand work it with your hands until it is sticky and well bound. Fry a small piece to check the seasoning.
Spread about a third of the farce over the bottom and up the sides of the terrine. Lay half the chicken strips lengthways, then add a thin layer of farce. Line up the mushrooms along the centre, cover them with a little more farce, then add the rest of the chicken. Finish with the remaining farce, pressing it into the corners, and smooth the top.
Cover with the lid and cook for about 1 hour, checking the core from 45 minutes. It is ready at 78 to 85°C (172 to 185°F). Rest it covered at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours, then refrigerate overnight before slicing. Take it out of the fridge 30 minutes before serving.