Set a celebration meal off to a grand start with this exquisite blend of pheasant and chicken livers, mushrooms and chestnuts, seasoned with herbs and all meticulously wrapped in dark spinach leaves.
ingredients
serves 8
Oven-ready pheasant, about 1 1/2 pound
1 cup mushrooms, wiped and chopped
2 slices unsmoked back bacon with fat removed, chopped
8 ounce chicken livers, washed and trimmed
1 red onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 level teaspoon dried thyme
2 level tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
7 ounce tinned unsweetened chestnut puree
1/8 level teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 pound large fresh spinach leaves, washed and dried, thick stalks trimmed off
Fresh bay leaves, red onion rings and mixed lettuce leaves to garnish
method
OVEN: Preheat to 180°C (350°F)
1. Take the pheasant meat off the bone and remove the skin. Cut the meat into small pieces and mince it finely or blend in a food processor until smooth. Mix in the mushrooms, bacon, chicken livers, onion, garlic, thyme and parsley, and mince or blend again. Stir in the chestnut puree and salt and season with pepper.
2. Blanch the spinach leaves for 1 minute in a large saucepan of unsalted boiling water. Rinse with cold water, drain and pat dry with kitchen paper. Lay the bay leaves in a 10 x 5 inch (25 x 13 cm) nonstick loaf tin and line the tin with three-quarters of the spinach leaves.
3. Spoon the pheasant mixture into the tin and spread evenly. Arrange the remaining spinach leaves on top. Cover the tin with a double layer of nonstick baking paper and set it in a deep roasting tin. Pour in enough cold water to come halfway up the tin. Cook in the heated oven for 1 hour, or until there is no pink in the juices that ooze out when you push a skewer into the middle of the terrine.
4. Lift the loaf tin onto a board and leave to cool, then put it in the refrigerator until the following day for the terrine to set.
Turn the terrine out and cut it into 16 slices. Garnish it with the fresh bay, onion and lettuce, and serve with crusty bread.
