LITMIR.BIZ

       Game terrine with celeriac remoulade

       I adore this kind of food for casual entertaining: thick slabs of a wonderful rustic winter terrine sitting on slices of crusty white or sourdough bread and some tangy celeriac remoulade on the side. This is great to serve for lunch when having friends staying over for the weekend. If you have a mincer, the texture will be better, however, you can mince meat in a food processor by pulsing a few times to get very small pieces.

      SERVES AT LEAST 6

      25g (1oz) butter, plus extra for greasing

      1 large onion, peeled and very finely chopped

      Salt and ground black pepper

      300g (11oz) boneless mixed game bird meat, minced or pulsed in a food processor

      200g (7oz) minced pork (at least 20% fat)

      50g (2oz) streaky bacon, minced or pulsed in a food processor

      Large pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

      3 juniper berries, crushed

      2 tsp chopped thyme leaves

      8–10 rashers of streaky bacon, rind removed

      25g (1oz) shelled pistachios

      2 boneless game breasts (about 200g/7oz in total), such as pheasant, pigeon, partridge or woodcock, cut into strips

      Bay leaves and juniper berries, to decorate

       For the celeriac remoulade

      ½ celeriac

      250ml (9fl oz) mayonnaise

      Juice of ½ lemon

      2 tsp wholegrain or Dijon mustard

      13 × 23cm (5 × 9in) loaf tin or casserole dish

      1 Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the chopped onion with some salt and pepper, then cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for about 8–10 minutes or until the onion is softened and slightly golden. Set aside to cool.

      2 Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix together the minced meats with the nutmeg, juniper berries and the chopped thyme and season with salt and pepper. Add the cooked onions, then fry a little bit of this mixture in a hot pan and taste for seasoning.

      3 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F), Gas mark 4, and butter the loaf tin.

      4 Place the bacon rashers between two sheets of cling film and roll out with a rolling pin to make the bacon slices thinner and longer. Peel away the cling film from the bacon and line a loaf tin or small casserole by placing the rashers slices side by side along its width, making sure that each piece hangs over each side as it will be folded back over the top of the terrine.

      5 Spread one-third of the minced meat mixture over the bacon on the bottom of the tin, then scatter with half the pistachios and arrange half the pieces of game on top to cover the surface. Spread out a second third of the minced meat mixture, followed by another layer of the pistachios and game fillets. Fill with the remaining minced meat mixture, level out with the back of a spoon, then fold the overlapping bacon back over the top to cover.

      6 Cover with foil, place in a bain-marie (a roasting tin filled to a depth of a few centimetres with boiling water) and bake in the oven for about 1½ hours or until cooked through or firm to the touch in the centre. (To check that it’s cooked, insert a metal skewer into the centre of the terrine and leave for 10 seconds; the skewer, once removed, will then feel too hot to hold against the inside of your wrist.) Remove the foil after the first 45 minutes.

      7 Let the terrine sit in the loaf tin for about 20 minutes before turning out onto a plate and allowing to cool to room temperature. Decorate with some bay leaves and juniper berries.

      8 Meanwhile, make the remoulade. Peel and finely slice the celeriac into matchstick-sized pieces or grate using the roughest part of the grater or in a food processor. Then mix with the remaining ingredients in a bowl, seasoning to taste.

      9 Cut the terrine into slices and serve with crusty white or sourdough bread and the celeriac remoulade.

      RACHEL’S TIP

      If you are using your own game meat, use it from the legs, thighs, kidneys, livers and hearts. If you or someone you know has shot a pheasant, pigeon or partridge, you could use up the whole bird in this dish: I tend to use two pheasants or one pheasant and one pigeon, but you could otherwise use a pack of mixed game from the butcher or a supermarket.