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Course
Small Bites
Serves
12-20 as an appetizer
Chef’s notes
Wild game pâté is a fancy dish that turns small odds and ends of meat into pure gold. It’s the perfect thing to make as a sophisticated first course when you’re hosting a swanky get-together. Your guests will be impressed by your efforts.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. game liver
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces lean venison and 4 ounces pork fat, ground together through a small-die grinder plate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 small shallots, finely minced
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 lb. sliced bacon
- 1 breast fillet from a white-fleshed game bird, such as grouse or pheasant, cut into 1/3-by-1/3-by-3-inch pieces
Preparation
How to Cut a Terrine Board
- A buddy of mine showed me how much easier it was to weight down a terrine if you cut a piece of wood just for the purpose. You need the dimensions of the interior of your terrine.
- Then go out back and cut yourself a rectangle in those same dimensions minus 1/4 inch on all sides, so it will fit snugly.
- I used wood that was 1/4 inch thick. Cleverly, l marked mine with the words “Terrine Board” so that I don’t accidentally burn it in the fireplace.
- To use the terrine board, I wrap it in foil and place it over the terrine after it comes out of the oven.
- Then I weight it down with a foil-covered brick or a few 15-ounce cans.
Wild Game Pâté
- Put the liver in a baking dish or bowl and cover with milk.
- Cover and let soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Remove the liver, pat it dry, and discard the soaking liquid.
- Cut the liver into 1-inch pieces.
- Using a food processor, chop the liver finely until it forms a paste.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, combine the liver, venison, cream, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sage and mix well.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the shallots and cook until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Raise the heat to high.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy.
- Using a long-stemmed match or torch lighter, ignite the brandy and allow it to flame.
- Pour the flaming brandy and shallots into the meat mixture and stir to combine.
- Line a 5-cup lidded terrine mold with bacon, laying the slices across the bottom horizontally; the ends of the bacon should hang over the sides of the mold.
- Put one-quarter of the meat mixture into the mold on top of the bacon slices.
- Layer one-third of the breast strips on top of the meat mixture.
- Then top with another one-quarter of the meat mixture and another third of the breast strips.
- Repeat the layering, finishing with the last one-quarter of the meat mixture.
- Pat the mixture down firmly and fold the bacon ends over the top of the meat mixture. They should overlap in the middle of the terrine.
- Cover with the terrine lid (or with foil).
- Set the terrine in a roasting pan filled with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.
- Bake the terrine about 1-1-1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°.
- Remove the terrine from the water bath and take off the lid.
- Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and then place a weighted board on top.
- Allow the terrine to cool on the counter for 1 hour, then place in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.
- When chilled, unmold the terrine.
- Wrap the whole terrine in plastic wrap and foil and let it mellow in the fridge for a day if you can wait-it will be even more delicious.
- If not, eat with crusty bread, gherkins, and mustard.
Chef’s notes
Wild game pâté is a fancy dish that turns small odds and ends of meat into pure gold. It’s the perfect thing to make as a sophisticated first course when you’re hosting a swanky get-together. Your guests will be impressed by your efforts.
Ingredients
- 1/2 lb. game liver
- 2 cups milk
- 8 ounces lean venison and 4 ounces pork fat, ground together through a small-die grinder plate
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp. dried thyme
- 2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp. nutmeg
- 2 leaves fresh sage, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 small shallots, finely minced
- 1/4 cup brandy
- 1 lb. sliced bacon
- 1 breast fillet from a white-fleshed game bird, such as grouse or pheasant, cut into 1/3-by-1/3-by-3-inch pieces
Preparation
How to Cut a Terrine Board
- A buddy of mine showed me how much easier it was to weight down a terrine if you cut a piece of wood just for the purpose. You need the dimensions of the interior of your terrine.
- Then go out back and cut yourself a rectangle in those same dimensions minus 1/4 inch on all sides, so it will fit snugly.
- I used wood that was 1/4 inch thick. Cleverly, l marked mine with the words “Terrine Board” so that I don’t accidentally burn it in the fireplace.
- To use the terrine board, I wrap it in foil and place it over the terrine after it comes out of the oven.
- Then I weight it down with a foil-covered brick or a few 15-ounce cans.
Wild Game Pâté
- Put the liver in a baking dish or bowl and cover with milk.
- Cover and let soak in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Remove the liver, pat it dry, and discard the soaking liquid.
- Cut the liver into 1-inch pieces.
- Using a food processor, chop the liver finely until it forms a paste.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- In a large bowl, combine the liver, venison, cream, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and sage and mix well.
- In a sauté pan over medium heat, melt the butter.
- Add the shallots and cook until translucent and tender, about 5 minutes.
- Raise the heat to high.
- Remove the pan from the heat and add the brandy.
- Using a long-stemmed match or torch lighter, ignite the brandy and allow it to flame.
- Pour the flaming brandy and shallots into the meat mixture and stir to combine.
- Line a 5-cup lidded terrine mold with bacon, laying the slices across the bottom horizontally; the ends of the bacon should hang over the sides of the mold.
- Put one-quarter of the meat mixture into the mold on top of the bacon slices.
- Layer one-third of the breast strips on top of the meat mixture.
- Then top with another one-quarter of the meat mixture and another third of the breast strips.
- Repeat the layering, finishing with the last one-quarter of the meat mixture.
- Pat the mixture down firmly and fold the bacon ends over the top of the meat mixture. They should overlap in the middle of the terrine.
- Cover with the terrine lid (or with foil).
- Set the terrine in a roasting pan filled with enough water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.
- Bake the terrine about 1-1-1/2 hours, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 160°.
- Remove the terrine from the water bath and take off the lid.
- Cover the terrine with plastic wrap and then place a weighted board on top.
- Allow the terrine to cool on the counter for 1 hour, then place in refrigerator until thoroughly chilled, about 3 hours.
- When chilled, unmold the terrine.
- Wrap the whole terrine in plastic wrap and foil and let it mellow in the fridge for a day if you can wait-it will be even more delicious.
- If not, eat with crusty bread, gherkins, and mustard.