Rabbit Terrine Recipes

RABBIT TERRINE

Steps:

• Mix all the ingredients except the bacon, butter and bay leaves in a bowl and season well. Leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Bash each piece of bacon to make it thin, using either a rolling pin or the flat of a knife. Line a 1kg terrine with baking parchment and butter it well. Put the bay leaves in the base and then lay the bacon across, leaving the ends hanging over the edges. Spoon the mince mix into the terrine and fold the overhanging bacon over it. Cover the top of the tin with foil, then wrap the whole terrine tightly in more foil.
• Put the terrine in a roasting tin and add boiling water until it comes halfway up the side. Slide the tin carefully into the oven and cook for 1¼ hours. Check the terrine is cooked by inserting a skewer into the centre; it should come out feeling too hot to touch comfortably. Lift the terrine out and cool completely before chilling until you need it.
• To serve, unwrap the foil and gently turn out the terrine. Peel off the paper and tidy up the outside. Slice and leave for 10 minutes so it loses its chill before serving. You need to eat the terrine within 2 days if you want it to look its best. (Without the addition of preservatives, meat will look greyer.)

RABBIT & PORK TERRINE WITH PEPPERCORNS

Steps:

• Ask your butcher to remove the meat from the rabbit, or do it yourself. The leg meat can be as roughly prepped as you like, but keep the loins as neat as you can.
• Put the leg meat, trimmings and pork belly in a processor, finely chop, then tip into a large bowl. Melt the butter and cook the garlic, shallots and thyme together gently for 8 mins or until the shallots are soft but not coloured. Tip onto the minced meat, add the allspice, peppercorns and 3 tbsp brandy, then mix well. Leave to mingle for 1 hr, or longer if you like, in the fridge.
• Add the oil to the pan and quickly brown the loins; you don't need to cook them through. If you fancy, add 1 tbsp brandy to the pan and flambé them to finish. Set aside on a plate and tip any pan juices into the minced mixture.
• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Remove the garlic from the mince and season generously. It's a good idea to fry a small ball of the mixture, let it cool, then taste to check the seasoning. Line a 900g loaf tin with a strip of foil. Stretch each piece of bacon a little with your knife. Arrange the rashers so that the base of the tin is covered with overlapping bacon and the rashers come neatly up the sides in a single layer and overhang generously. Boil a kettleful of water.
• Press a third of the mince into the tin. Make a lengthways channel along one side, then poke in a line of loin pieces, so that they meet end-to-end. Scatter half the cornichons over the other side. Add the next third of mince and repeat, this time with the loins and cornichons on the opposite sides. Cover with the remaining mince, then bring the bacon over to seal. Wrap tightly in foil and put in a deep roasting tin. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the terrine and bake for 2 hrs or until a skewer comes out hot from the middle of the terrine, and the juices run clear. Top up the water if needed.
• To press the terrine, sit the loaf tin on a rack in a roasting tin. Tear some cardboard to fit the top of the loaf tin as neatly as you can (we used egg box lids). Add a few layers and sit something extremely heavy on top to press the cardboard and terrine down (we used a cast-iron dish). Cool to room temperature, then chill completely, ideally overnight. Remove the weight and re-wrap the terrine in clean foil or cling film. Ideally, let it mature for 2 days in the fridge before eating. Serve with the pickle salad, below, and remaining cornichons.

RABBIT TERRINE WITH GREEN OLIVES AND PISTACHIOS

Steps:

• Cook rabbit in broth:
• Remove fat, kidneys, and liver from rabbit if necessary. Put rabbit, shallots, carrots, parsley, thyme, leek, garlic, peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 6 cups water in a 4-quart heavy pot and bring to a boil, skimming froth. Reduce heat and gently simmer rabbit, partially covered, until tender, 1 hour.
• Clarify broth:
• Cool rabbit in broth, uncovered, 30 minutes, then remove, reserving rabbit pieces and broth separately. Pour broth through a fine sieve into a bowl, discarding solids. Whisk egg whites in another bowl until foamy and add egg shells. Whisk in warm broth in a stream and return mixture to cleaned pot.
• Heat over moderate heat, stirring and scraping bottom constantly with a wooden spoon to prevent egg white from sticking, until stock comes to a simmer (this will take about 10 minutes). Reduce heat and gently simmer broth, without stirring, until all impurities rise to surface and form a crust, and broth underneath is clear, about 10 minutes.
• While broth is simmering, coarsely shred rabbit meat, being careful to remove all small bones.
• Pour broth through a sieve lined with a double thickness of dampened paper towels into a bowl and let all broth drain through. Discard solids. (If liquid doesn't drain completely, tap edge of sieve repeatedly with a metal spoon to help drain.) Broth should be completely clear; if not, repeat procedure with clean dampened paper towels.
• If clarified broth measures more than 2 1/2 cups, boil to reduce. If it measures less, add water. Bring broth just to a simmer. Sprinkle gelatin over remaining 1/4 cup cold water and soften 1 minute, then whisk into hot broth until dissolved. Stir in Madeira and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste.
• Assemble terrines:
• Lightly oil terrines and line with a sheet of plastic wrap large enough to drape over edges. Place terrines on a tray. Cut 4 (18-inch) pieces of kitchen string and place 2 crosswise under each terrine about 2 inches from each end (they will be used to secure rolling pins or bottles to terrines).
• Grind fennel seeds with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder and toss with rabbit, olives, pistachios, chives, thyme, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Divide mixture between terrines, then stir broth well and pour slowly into terrines, filling to 1/4 inch from top. Reserve any remaining broth, covered and chilled. Place a foil-wrapped cardboard strip on top of each terrine, then rest a rolling pin or bottle on top of cardboard and tie to terrine, creating just enough pressure to press cardboard about 1/2 inch into terrine (some broth will spill over onto tray).
• Chill terrines on tray 3 hours, then remove string, weights, and cardboard. Heat any reserved jelled broth (including spillover on tray) just until it becomes liquid and add to terrines. Cover with overhanging plastic wrap and chill at least 6 hours more.
• To unmold terrines, unwrap plastic wrap and invert molds onto a long narrow platter, pulling slightly on plastic to release terrines from molds, then removing it. Gently cut terrines with a serrated knife into 1/3-inch-thick slices and serve on toasts.
• Toast spices in a dry heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring, until fragrant and a shade or two darker.
• ** To toast, arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and spread with 2 tablespoons butter. Toast in middle of oven until golden, about 10 minutes.

TERRINE OF RABBIT IN ASPIC

Steps:

• Place the rabbit in a bowl. Combine one cup of the wine with the thyme, rosemary, one clove garlic, shallots, salt and pepper, pour over the rabbit and allow to marinate overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a heavy casserole. Cut one of the carrots into thick slices and stir in with the sliced onion. When the vegetables begin to color, stir in the remaining garlic. Drain the rabbit pieces and reserve the marinade. Pat the rabbit pieces dry on paper towels and add them to the casserole. Stir them around for a few minutes, then strain the marinade into the casserole. Add three tablespoons of the Cognac.
• Bring to a simmer, cover and place in the oven to braise for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the rabbit is tender. Allow to cool to room temperature in the casserole.
• Remove the meat from the bones, keeping it in chunks. Season with salt and pepper to taste, sprinkle with vinegar and toss with the tarragon leaves.
• Cut the remaining four carrots into quarters lengthwise, and then into 1-inch pieces. Place the carrots and pearl onions in a saucepan with the chicken stock and simmer about eight minutes, until just tender. Remove vegetables from the pan with a slotted spoon and mix gently with the rabbit. Reserve the stock, covered.
• Soften the gelatin in water, then dissolve in the hot reserved stock. Stir in the remaining white wine and Cognac. Taste for seasoning and add salt if necessary. Pour the sauce over the rabbit and vegetables, mix gently and then transfer to a 5- to 6-cup terrine or glass bowl. Refrigerate until set. Serve as a first course or luncheon dish with a small salad such as mache in vinaigrette dressing.