Pork, Pistachio and Lemon Thyme Terrine
The French have a wonderful repertoire of traditional charcuterie in their recipe arsenal, delicious pates, saucisson, rillettes and terrines. I have one single favourite terrine recipe. Made with seasoned pork mince, the richness is mellowed and enhanced by the addition of pistachio nuts, garlic and lemon thyme.
When I was making this terrine earlier in the week I started to wonder why my loaf is a terrine, not merely a fancy meatloaf. Reading numerous sources, I have come to conclusion that the fundamental difference is that a terrine is cooked in a container with a cover and a meatloaf is either baked free form on a tray or in an uncovered loaf tin. A terrine is specifically made to be eaten cold while a meatloaf is not. A terrine is simply not a terrine if eaten hot!
It’s important to cool the cooked terrine under weights. The pressure forces out fat, juices and air ensuring the texture, when cold, is firm and dense. I cut a piece of cardboard to fit into the top of my loaf tin, wrap it in aluminium foil, then stand 3x400g cans of tomatoes side by side on top while it chills for 24 hours. It’s delicious served thickly cut and smeared with Dijon mustard.
I like to serve cornichons, crusty bread, and a rocket salad dressed with a sharp vinaigrette beside my terrine for a delicious casual lunch or dinner, oh and don’t forget a nice glass of chilled rosé!
1kg minced pork
2 eggs
1/2 cup cream
2 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2 tablespoons fresh lemon thyme leaves
100g pistachios
2 teaspoons sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
6-8 rashers of bacon, trimmed of rind
1. Preheat the oven to 180C
2. Grease a 8cm X 25cm deep loaf tin or a lidded ceramic terrine dish, then line it with bacon trimmed of rinds.
3. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients.
4. Use clean hands to thoroughly mix all the ingredients together.
5. Tightly pack the meat into the loaf tin, folding the overhanging bacon in over the meat.
6. Butter a piece of baking paper and tightly cover the surface of the meat.
7. Cover with tight fitting foil or a lid.
8. Place the terrine mould in a deep baking dish and put it into the preheated oven.
9. Add boiling water to the baking dish until the depth is halfway up the terrine mould.
10. Bake for 1 hour or until the centre of the terrine feels firm.
11. Remove the terrine from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes.
12. Fit a piece of stout foil covered cardboard into the terrine mould, transfer the terrine to the refrigerator and stand 3x400g cans of tomatoes side by side on top.
13. Chill for 24 hours before turning the terrine out of the mould, slicing thickly and serving.
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13 comments on “Pork, Pistachio and Lemon Thyme Terrine”
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Please Pass the Recipe by Sandra Gay is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported License.
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Every thing about your terrine is wonderful. From how lovely it looks, the ingredients used and what you served it with.
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Thanks Karen. This recipe is an old friend
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LOVE eating terrine, especially with cornichons (a marriage made in heaven) but have never made it myself. I often churn out terrine’s daggy cousin though; ie. pork meatloaf with super-shiny glaze, mainly because my boys love it! Hadn’t really considered the main differences being cover/pressure/serving temperature; and am really keen to give this a try one day – perfect picnic-season food.
PS. SO, so impressed with your prolific posting recently. My inbox has been filling with your beautiful recipes. I can’t seem to find time for blogging at the moment and am really missing it. Keep up the great work!
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I have come back from holidays hardly having cooked, inspired to try new things and trot out some long neglected recipes. The chances of me maintaining this impetus long term are low, sadly. It’s always good to see you around Saskia!
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This looks incredible!
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Wow! You truly are amazing. Terrine is something I am happy to get as an appetizer in a restaurant. Please educate me. When you make it this big, is it commonly made for a parties or is it eaten as a main course?
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We had a casual lunch with a group of friends, this was one of many dishes I prepared for a buffet main course.
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You’ve just made one of my favorite things to make and eat!!! Beautiful!
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Thank you Mimi.
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Oh, how fabulous is this? I would just love to have a slice of crusty baguette with a thick slice of your terrine right on top!
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I’ve wondered about terrine vs meat loaf too, and yours looks great! I’m making some soda bread on the weekend, might make terrine too for an easy lunch.
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Terrine and soda bread would be perfect together!
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