Terrines with Mousselines

A mousseline forcemeat consists of raw, puréed fish, poultry, or meat combined with heavy cream and, usually but not always, eggs or egg whites. Because they contain no starch or binder, and because of the large quantity of cream they contain, mousselines are the most delicate of forcemeats. The procedure for making a mousseline forcemeat is detailed in the following basic recipe.

Ingredient proportions in mousseline forcemeat depend on the qualities of the meat or fish being used. The albumin content of the egg white makes the mousseline firm when it is cooked. If the meat or fish you are using has a high albumin content, however, you may be able to reduce the quantity of egg white. In some cases, you may not need any egg. Similarly, the amount of cream depends on the firmness of the fish and on the intended use of the forcemeat. If it is to be the base of a terrine that will be sliced, too much cream will make it too delicate. On the other hand, for small timbale molds and similar items that don't need to be as firm, the quantity of cream can be increased beyond the amount indicated in the following recipe.