CHICKEN and PORK TERRINE

Terrine is originally a French forcemeat loaf made with more coarsely chopped ingredients. Terrines are usually served cold or at room temperature.

You can enjoy this recipe either as a delicate starter on your dinner table or as on hors d'oeuvre in a cocktail party.

This recipe is designed to yield 12-15 appetizer/starter portions

Ingredients
520 gr. Chicken breasts
360 gr. Lean pork
320 gr. Bacon
1 Lemon, juice (almost 1 Tbsp)
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Chopped parsley
1 tspSalt
1 tspGreen peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp Kirsch
½ tsp Chilli flakes, crushed
¼ tsp Ground ginger
¼ tsp Thyme

Kirsch

Kirsch is a clear, colorless fruit brandy traditionally made from double distillation of morello cherries, a dark-colored cultivar of the sour cherry. The cherries are fermented complete, including their stones. Unlike cherry liqueurs and so-called cherry brandies, Kirsch is not sweet.

The best kirsch has a refined taste with subtle flavors of cherry and a slight bitter-almond taste that derives from the stones.
If you dont have Kirsch at home, just for this recipe you can substitute it with ½ tsp of anise liquor or extract.
 
Method

1.Put the bacon on a cutting board and stretch them, working with one slice of bacon at a time. Press the back of your knife on the bacon slice on one end and slide it towards the other end gently. Try not to tear the bacon as it will form the outer crust of the terrine.

2.Preheat the oven to 325ºF. 

3.Take a loaf pan of 8 inches long with 3 lbs. of capacity. Arrange the bacon slices over the base and the sides of the pan in single layer and allow them to overlap to create a tiled surface.

4.Cut 1/3 of the chicken breasts (155-160 gr) in strips and sprinkle with lemon juice to attain a white color.

5.Add the remaining ingredients to the meat mixture and process them until just incorporated.

6.Spoon half of the mixture into the loaf pan and level the surface. Arrange the chicken strips on top of the mixture and spoon in the rest of the mixture on top of them all. Level the surface again.

7.Knock the pan firmly but slowly on the counter to set the mixture evenly in the pan and also to allow the air pockets out. Fold in the bacon strips hanging over the sides of the pan on to the mixture.

8.Cover the loaf pan with greased foil. Grab a big roasting pan and place the covered loaf pan in the roasting pan. Pour in enough boiling water, slightly higher than the half way of the loaf pan. Put it into the oven.

9.Bake the terrine for 1.5 hour until firm to the touch. Check in 10 minutes intervals after the first hour.

10.The meat and the bacon wraps yield quite a lot of liquid. When cooked drain the liquid and cool the terrine down in its original loaf pan. Then turn it out on a big plate or on a serving dish and chill it until needed.

11.Served sliced with lemon wedges and mixed greens.s

BON APPETITE!