Pork, Apricot and Herb Terrine

, from Issue #48. August, 2015
Photography by Manja Wachsmuth.
Pork, Apricot and Herb Terrine

Terrines don’t have to be complicated and expensive to make. Using a good-quality pork sausage as the base, this makes a delicious do-ahead lunch that happily keeps in the fridge for 3 days.

Serves: 8–10

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
100 grams streaky bacon, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
850 grams good pork sausages
½ cup chopped dried apricots
½ teaspoon each ground mace, nutmeg and mixed spice
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1 cup fresh white breadcrumbs
¼ cup cream
sea salt and freshly ground pepper

To assemble
4-5 slices streaky bacon
2 sprigs sage leaves
6-7 cup capacity baking dish

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180˚C.

Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan and add the onion, bacon and garlic. Cover and cook over a low heat until the onion is very tender. Drain on kitchen towels and cool.

Remove the sausages from their skins and place in a large bowl. Add the apricots, spices, parsley, breadcrumbs, cream and the cooled onion mixture. Season well and using your hands, mix everything together until it is well combined. Don’t use a food processor.

Place in the baking dish, pressing it down firmly, and cover the top with bacon then the sage leaves. Cover tightly with foil and place in a deep roasting pan. Add enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the baking dish. Cook for 60 minutes until the terrine is fully cooked through. Remove from the water and cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

To serve: Remove the terrine from the fridge 1 hour before serving. Scrape off the fat and jelly that will have set around the terrine and discard. Slice and serve with the Quick Mustard Pickles, mustard, butter and lots of crusty bread. 

Cook’s tip: I used Italian pork sausages flavoured with fennel and herbs.