Duck and Pork Terrine Recipe

Plate of pork terrine with chutney
Cultura RF/Diana Miller / Getty Images
Prep: 45 mins
Cook: 90 mins
Overnight refrigeration: 8 hrs
Total: 10 hrs 15 mins
Servings: 8 to 10 servings

This elegant terrine is for a special-occasion lunch or dinner. It does take some time to put all of the ingredients together, but the final result is really worth the effort. Although the recipe calls for you to marinate the duck breast overnight, it will work out fine with only a couple of hours. The terrine is cooked the day before you want to serve it and refrigerated, which gels the meats together and improves the flavor. The terrine also freezes beautifully. 

Ingredients

  • 1 duck breast

  • 3 clove garlic, divided

  • Kosher salt, to taste

  • 1/2 cup Madeira, or port, divided

  • 1 sprig fresh thyme

  • 1 bay leaf

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 2 shallots, finely chopped

  • 2 cups mushrooms, finely chopped

  • 2 duck legs

  • 1/2 pound chicken livers

  • 3/4 pound pork chop, boned and meat cut into cubes

  • 1 pound bacon, divided

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

  • 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon ginger

  • 4 slices white bread, crusts removed

  • 2/3 cup milk

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

  2. Remove the skin from the duck breast and discard it. Slice the duck breast into strips 1/4-inch thick.

  3. Mince 1 garlic clove and gather it into a pile on your cutting board. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt over the garlic. Using the back of a chef's knife, grind the salt into the garlic, forming a paste.

  4. Toss the duck breast strips, garlic paste, 1/4 cup of the Madeira or port, fresh thyme, and bay leaf in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

  5. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, and add the chopped shallots. Sauté 3 minutes.

  6. Then add the chopped mushrooms and sauté 5 minutes.

  7. Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup of Madeira or port, and allow it to cook off. Take the skillet off the heat.

  8. Cut the skin off the duck legs, then using a small sharp knife, slice the duck meat off the bone and coarsely chop.

  9. Put the chopped duck leg meat, chicken livers, cubed pork chop, 6 ounces bacon, the eggs, 2 garlic cloves, dried thyme, 2 teaspoons black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse several times to chop everything evenly and scrape down the sides of the processor bowl, then puree until smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

  10. Combine the bread and milk in a small bowl, until just softened.

  11. Then gently work the bread with your fingers into the duck-chicken liver mixture.

  12. Heat a little bit of olive oil in a skillet, and fry a small piece of the forcemeat. Taste, and add salt and pepper as needed.

  13. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a loaf pan or terrine with several layers of plastic wrap, allowing for overhang all around.

  14. Lay the remaining strips of bacon vertically in the bottom of the loaf pan, leaving the ends to hang over the outside of the pan.

  15. Divide the forcemeat into three portions. Using an offset spatula, spread one-third of the forcemeat evenly along the bottom of the terrine.

  16. Divide the mushrooms into two portions, and spread one portion over the forcemeat.

  17. Lay one-half of the marinated duck strips over the mushrooms.

  18. Then spread the second layer of forcemeat over the duck strips.

  19. Repeat with the forcemeat, mushrooms, and duck strips two more times. Press down on the terrine to compress.

  20. Fold the bacon ends over the top, then fold the hanging plastic wrap over the bacon.

  21. Cover again with heavy-duty foil or with the terrine lid. Set the terrine in a roasting pan for the bain-marie just large enough to hold the terrine. Bring a kettle of water to the boil. Put the roasting pan into the oven, then pour the boiling water into the pan so it's halfway up the terrine.

  22. Bake 1 1/2 hours, or until the internal temperature reads 140 F.

  23. Carefully take the terrine out of the bain-marie and discard the foil. Fold a new large piece of foil four times so it fits on top. Weight the terrine down with a foil-wrapped brick or canned vegetables or fruit, then let it cool 1 hour. Refrigerate overnight.

  24. One hour before serving, remove the weight and foil. Loosen the plastic wrap from the top. Run a thin knife around the edges of the terrine. Hold a plate on top of the terrine, then invert the plate so the terrine pops out onto the plate.

  25. Carefully remove the plastic wrap. Cut into slices and serve with cornichons or gherkins, Dijon mustard, and sliced baguette.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
461 Calories
27g Fat
13g Carbs
39g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 8 to 10
Amount per serving
Calories 461
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 27g 35%
Saturated Fat 10g 48%
Cholesterol 254mg 85%
Sodium 1052mg 46%
Total Carbohydrate 13g 5%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 39g
Vitamin C 10mg 48%
Calcium 72mg 6%
Iron 5mg 30%
Potassium 625mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)