Chef owner of Thyme at Errichel restaurant, Paul Newman has a recipe to round off the year.
I can’t believe Christmas is round the corner so it’s a call to celebrate the close of the year, one full of ups and downs, but nevertheless, it’s time for some festive cheer!
Scotland in the winter is magical – frost, snow and dramatic weather makes for bracing countryside walks and cosy fireside drams.
Our natural larder is still bountiful and the vast array of fantastic Scottish-produced food and drink means that you will never go hungry.
This month’s recipe is a popular terrine on our winter menu. This dish is stress-free as it can be prepared up to three days in advance, so you can make it ahead of friends and family arriving and enjoy more time catching up.
With best wishes for a happy Christmas from Chef Paul and all the team at Errichel & Thyme.
Chicken and roasted wild pigeon terrine
Serves 6
Ingredients
- 35ml of Armagnac (or brandy)
- 150ml dry white wine
- 25ml port
- 350g wild pigeon breast, (or grouse or pheasant )
- 350g chicken livers
- 200g butter
- 3 eggs
- 300g smoked streaky bacon
- 4 banana shallots, finely chopped
- 15 juniper berries, small crushed
- A pinch of ground black peppercorn
- Salt to taste
- Pinch of ground mace
- 2 fat cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 heaped tsp thyme, chopped
Method
- Preheat your oven to 130C Fan/150C/300F/Gas Mark 2.
- In a small deep saucepan pour the wine, port and Armagnac with the shallots, juniper berries, garlic, then simmer until reduced by two-thirds, about 8 min.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool, remove the garlic.
- Melt the butter and allow to slightly cool.
- Lightly season the wild pigeon breast with salt and pepper and sear them in a very hot frying pan.
- This seals the meat and means you won’t lose its juicy moisture during cooking. Let them cool. Keep their juices.
- Place the chicken livers in the food processor and blend them until smooth, then add the juices of the pigeon, the wine reduction, the eggs, and for the melted butter add this by doing so very slowly until you see a velvety mixture.
- Pass through a fine sieve. Add the mace, ground pepper, salt, thyme.
- Line a terrine dish with the bacon, layering them so that each end of the rasher hangs outside the tin so you can wrap the ends over the top of the terrine once filled.
- Cover the bottom of the terrine dish with the chicken liver mixture, then arrange the pigeon breast, add the rest of the mixture to cover the breast, then fold the ends of the bacon on top of the dish.
- Cover the terrine with double foil.
- Put the terrine in the middle of a roasting tin, then carefully into the roasting tin pour two-thirds of hot water to act as a water bath to ensure even and gentle cooking, then put in the oven and leave to cook for about an hour and 45 minutes.
- To check if it’s cooked put a fine thin knife or metal skewer into the centre and if it comes out clean your terrine is cooked. Leave it to cool.
- This dish is better to enjoy the next day when all the flavours come together and can be kept in the fridge for three days.
- We like to have this delicious starter with finely sliced and toasted sourdough and our homemade kumquat and chilli chutney.
- The citrus of the kumquat adds a layer of flavour and balances perfectly with the richness of the terrine and to wash down a glass of Armagnac or whisky if you prefer. Slainte!