Description
Discover the secrets of creating gourmet dishes with our Foraged Wild Game Pantry guide. Learn expert tips and recipes to elevate your culinary skills today!
Ingredients
- 8 oz (227 g) chicken livers soaked overnight in milk
- 3 oz (85 g) fresh wild mushrooms preferably a firm type, like lobster mushrooms, chanterelles, or hen of the woods
- 24 oz (680 g) chicken thighs or legs cut into large pieces to go through a meat grinder, skin diced into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 oz (113 g) diced beef bacon
- 1/4 teaspoon (1 ml) pink salt
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) quatre epice equal parts ground clove, nutmeg, allspice and black pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) s chopped fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoon (10 ml) s apple juice
- 10 grams (3/4 tablespoon (11 ml)) kosher salt plus more to taste
- Freshly ground white pepper to taste
- About 4 oz (113 g) thinly sliced beef bacon for wrapping the terrine, or caul fat
- 2 egg yolks
- 8 ounce (227 g) s inside of white bread torn into pieces, plus a good chunk of heel or similar for cleaning the grinder
- 3/4 cup (180 ml) milk
Instructions
- Mince the mushrooms finely and cook them in a pan without any oil until they release their moisture and soften. Add a bit of oil and a pinch of salt, then cook until the mixture turns golden.
- Soak the bread pieces in milk for 5 minutes, then gently squeeze out the excess liquid and set aside. Discard the remaining milk.
- Toast the bay leaves, thyme, and spices, then grind them and set aside. Mix the chicken thighs and livers with the soaked bread, spices, salt, and pepper, and run them through the medium setting of a meat grinder. Transfer the mixture to a bowl resting in another bowl with ice to keep it cold.
- Ensure the meat is very cold, then grind it again using the smallest setting on the meat grinder. Pass a bread heel through the grinder at the end to extract as much of the meat as possible, although this step is optional for texture enhancement.
- If the fine setting is challenging, it’s acceptable to use the medium setting twice.
- Incorporate the bacon, mushrooms, apple juice, and egg yolks into the mixture, then cook a small sample to check the flavor. Adjust by adding salt as needed, tasting until it satisfies your preference. Remember, it should be slightly salty, as it will be served cold.
- Let the chicken mixture sit overnight to enhance the flavors.
- Set your oven to 250°F. Line a terrine mold with parchment and then with the thinly sliced bacon or caul fat so it covers the sides as a wrapping.
- Bake the terrine in a water bath with the fan on low, covered with foil, for about 1.5 hours or until it reaches an internal temperature of 150°F. Remove the pan from the oven, allow it to cool uncovered for 30 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.
- I usually place a weight on the terrine while it cools in the fridge, but you can omit this step if space is an issue.
- The terrine becomes firmer as it chills. To unmold, warm the outside of the pan by placing it in hot water or using a blow torch. Lay a cutting board on top, flip it confidently, pat it dry, wrap it in cling film, and store until needed.
Notes
- Soaking chicken livers in milk overnight softens their flavor and purges impurities, enhancing taste and texture
- Toasting bay leaves, thyme, and spices releases essential oils, deepening the terrine’s aroma and flavor profile
- Grinding the meat mixture twice creates a smoother texture for a refined terrine; use bread heel for resourcefulness
