Making terrines is such a satisfying process. I love every aspect of it. I start by selecting the meat, in this case it’s the meat from two pheasants that a friend shot in Kansas. Next is figuring out what kind of terrine this is going to be. It could be very coarsely ground (or hand chopped), homogenous, smooth and spreadable (making it a Paté), or, as is the case here somewhere in between. I reserved the breast halves from one of the pheasants and ground up all the rest along with pork back fat and a host of flavorings and spices.
The recipe is based on a formula in Ruhlman’s Charcuterie. I also usually reference Time Life series’ Patés, Terrines and Galantines for ideas and inspiration. The reserved pheasant breast became the inlay in the terrine. For more textural variation and definition I mixed in some blanched pistachios and finely diced bacon. We feasted on this for a couple of dinners and a few lunches at work with several condiments like mustard and chutney and ALWAYS…cornichons.
