Makes 1 large terrine
Ingredients
- 100g (3½oz) stoned prunes
- 3 tablespoons port
- 350g (12oz) unsmoked rindless bacon rashers
- 150g (5½oz) venison liver, trimmed and cubed (use pork liver, if you can’t find venison)
- 250g (9oz) very fatty pork belly, cubed
- 1⁄2 onion, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- zest of 1⁄2 orange
- 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked and chopped
- 3 bay leaves, very finely chopped
- 1 egg
- 50g (2oz) white breadcrumbs
- 200g (7oz) pheasant breast, venison loin or pigeon breast (or a mixture), cut into 3–4cm (1¼–1½in) strips, as long as possible
- 4 juniper berries, finely chopped
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Place the prunes in a bowl and pour over the port. Leave them to plump up for several hours or overnight. Drain, reserving the port.
To make the forcemeat, roughly chop half the bacon and place it in a large bowl with the venison or pork liver and fatty pork belly. Add the onion, garlic, orange zest, thyme, bay and chopped juniper and mix well. Pass this mixture through a mincer and return it to the bowl. Add the egg, breadcrumbs and reserved port, season and mix everything together.
Stretch out the remaining bacon using the back of a knife to make it as broad and thin as you can. Line a 1 litre (35fl oz) loaf tin or cast-iron terrine with ovensafe cling film, then use the bacon to line the terrine, allowing some overhang on each side. Fill the terrine with a third of the forcemeat. Lay half the game strips along its length and arrange half the prunes around them, as evenly as you can. Add another third of the forcemeat, pressing it down to cover the game and prunes, then arrange another layer of game and prunes. Cover with the remaining forcemeat, pressing it down and levelling it off. Fold over the overhanging bacon and bring the cling film up over the top. Place a lid on the terrine or wrap it in foil nice and tightly.
Heat the oven to 150°C/300°F/gas mark 2. Put the terrine in a large, deep roasting tin, then fill the tin with enough water to come two-thirds up the sides of the terrine and place it in the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 20 minutes, until cooked through.
Remove the terrine from the oven, allow it to cool, then place it in the fridge. Use a weight (a house brick wrapped in cling film works well) to press the terrine overnight – this will give it a better texture. Take the terrine out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before serving in slices with toast and chutney.
