For the marinade

• 1-1½ glasses sherry
• 1 heaped tablespoon (2 x 15 ml spoon) soft brown sugar
• 10 crushed allspice or juniper berries
• approx. 8 peppercorns
• 1 heaped tablespoon (2 x 15 ml spoon) finely chopped sage
• approx. 4 bay leaves
• 2-3 teaspoons (2-3 x 5 ml spoon) mixed spice
• 2 teaspoons (2 x 5 ml spoon) ground mace or nutmeg
• plenty of salt and black pepper

For the terrine

• 1½ lb (600 g) pie veal
• 1 lb (400 g) belly of pork
• ¾ lb (300 g) pig’s liver (minced through the coarse blade of a mincer)
• ¾ lb (300 g) thinly sliced smoked streaky bacon
• 4-5 black peppercorns or whole juniper berries

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a large dish. Mix the minced veal, belly of pork and pig’s liver into the marinade mixture. Cover and leave for about 8 hours at room temperature.

Grease a 2-pt earthenware dish. Remove the bay leaves from the marinade and arrange on the bottom of the dish in a pattern with four or five peppercorns or juniper berries. Lay the bacon neatly in strips on the bottom and sides of the dish, reserving enough to lay on top of the terrine. Spoon the meat and marinade mixture into the dish. Lay the remaining strips of bacon on the top.

Cover with greased foil and then a lid and put the dish in a pan of water in the oven at Gas Mark 3/325°F/160°C for 1½-2 hours or until it starts to shrink away from the sides.

Cool for half an hour, then put a board and some weights or books on top of the dish (try to reserve any juice that spills over the sides) and leave for an hour or two.

Remove board and weights and chill in the fridge. The easiest way to turn the terrine on to a serving dish is to dip the dish in very hot water up to the rim for about half a minute or just until the terrine flops out when you turn it upside down and give it a good shake.

Melt any reserved jelly juices and brush the top of the terrine with them. Return to the fridge until you serve it.