Miles Collins

Pressed terrines made easy

Terrines are either technically difficult to make or simplicity personified, I don’t believe there are any in between. Get yourself a decent mold to cook or set it in, follow a few simple rules and you can easily make one.

Terrines can be quite complex and when made correctly look and taste spectacular. During the summer we make a terrine of seafood cooked in the manner of a bouillabaise with potatoes and saffron, the fish is layered with roasted pimentoes and aubergines brushed with alternate layers of pesto and tapenade. Sliced, served slightly chilled with a hot shellfish vinaigrette it personifies summer for me.

As this blog is written for the general public rather than a handful of chefs I shall stick with the basics. A terrine or a pate is basically a forcemeat, selection of meat, fish or vegetables which are cooked and/or set in a mold of some sort. This doesn’t mean you have to remortgage your house to buy a Le Creuset terrine because terrines can be rolled and set in cling film, cooked and pressed in a bread tin, whatever.

Before I make a terrine I envisage what I want it to look like on a plate. If I want a straight slab of meat then I use a regular terrine mold, if I want a more refined presentation then I might roll it into a cylindrical shape set in cling film (plastic wrap)

What is paramount is flavour, an under- seasoned terrine is unbearably dull and tedious to eat. With a pressing as opposed to a pate you are essentially compacting everything together so that it sets, therefore you want to ensure that each componant tastes perfect and works in harmony with the other ingredients. Never underestimate the importance of salt and pepper, you need to add more than you normally would if you were serving it hot, it’s a different taste sensation and cold meat needs extra seasoning.

Ask your butcher for a decent sized ham hock or two. Wash it,put it in a pan and cover with cold water. Bring it to the boil and then turn the heat down, skim off any scum which rises to the top and after five minutes pour the water out, give the hocks a quick wash and return to a clean pan. Top with cold water, drop in a peeled carrot, a piece of leek, half an onion, a stick of celery if you have some (don’t buy a bunch just to make this) and flavour the lot with a couple of torn bay leaves, some whole peppercorns and a sprig of time. Simmer on a low heat all afternoon, open your windows because your domestic extraction can’t cope with the residue moisture then go and read a book; War and Peace for ham hock terrine, Jeffrey Archer for chicken.

Chop up a bunch of parsley, a couple of finely chopped shallots mixed in wouldn’t go amiss. Lift a hock out of the pot some six hours later, if the meat falls away from the bone you’re ready, if not then curse me and finish the ironing. Let the meat cool a little but not too much. Pass a cup of the cooking stock through a sieve and boil it rapidly to reduce by half-You’re concentrating all of the natural gelatine now. 

Pull the meat away from the bone in chunks, put it in a bowl with the shallots and parsley, add a spoon of dijon mustard if you want then moisten the lot with the reduced ham stock. Season generously with pepper and a little salt.

Form a square with two layers of cling film on your kitchen table. Take the meat and make a sausage shape, squash the meat together. Roll the cling film over pressing and tucking the meat in and together as you go. Make a complete roll before taking both ends and rolling the lot to make a tight cylinder shape. Pinch the ends and roll again until the cling film is steadfast. Leave to cool and then put in the refrigerator to set overnight.  

Take a sharp knife and cut through the terrine (cling film included) peel away the cling film and rub with a little olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. You should have a mossaic of pink ham and bright green parsley. Serve with a spoon of chutney or piccalilli and some crusty bread.

Chicken can be cooked in the same way, as can a piece of boiling beef, make sure you roll or press the meat whilst still hot. If making a terrine in a tin be sure to press the meat down with a weight such as a tin of baked beans, just make sure the weight is distributed evenly. You can add a layer of the cooked leeks or sliced carrots for contrast if you wish.

Good luck!