Duck Terrine

Name: Duck Terrine
Yield: Makes one 2-liter terrine (mine measures 11½ by 4 by 4 inches), or about 20 first-course servings
Ingredients: Cornichons (French sour gherkins); ¾ pound fatback (not including the rind), sliced into thin sheets, ½ pound caul fat, or ¾ pound thinly sliced bacon; ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg; ¼ pound duck or chicken livers (about 3 whole livers), or a combination; 1 small clove garlic, peeled, chopped fine, and crushed to a paste with the side of a chefs’ knife; 4 slices dense-crumb white bread, crusts removed; Dijon or whole-grain mustard; ½ teaspoon ground cloves; Salt and pepper; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh marjoram (optional); ½ teaspoon ground ginger; 2 Pekin (Long Island) duck breasts, or 1 mullard breast, about 1 pound total, skin removed and discarded, meat cut into ¼-inch dice; ⅔ cup brown duck broth, or chicken broth, or milk; 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; 6 ounces prosciutto (pork, not duck); 2 duck legs; 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon dried; ½ cup (2 ounces) shelled pistachios; 2 tablespoons cognac; 14 ounces fatback, rind removed, cut into ¼-inch dice; ¼ cup semi-dry Madeira or port (optional); 14 ounces fatback, rind removed, cut into ½-inch cubes; 6 ounces pork shoulder meat or one ¾-pound pork shoulder chop, boned, cut into 1-inch cubes; 1 tablespoon olive oil or rendered duck fat, or more as needed; 2 large eggs; 2 large cloves garlic, peeled, chopped fine, and crushed to a paste with the side of a chefs’ knife

Preparation info

Makes
one
2 liter terrine (mine measures 11½ by 4 by 4 inches) servings

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

The Duck Cookbook

By James Peterson

Published 2003

About

The simplest terrines are made by grinding all the ingredients together in a food processor or meat grinder, packing the mixture into a fat-lined terrine, and baking it. The result is a kind of glorified meat loaf—not bad, but better things are possible. In this duck terrine, a fine forcemeat—a purée of meat, fat, and chicken livers—provides a smooth texture and deep meaty flavor, keeps the terrine moist, and binds it together. Coarsely chopped duck meat and prosciutto contribute texture an

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Starter

Ingredients

Method