This pheasant terrine is a refined, flavor-packed dish, perfect for special occasions or relaxed family meals. It marries delicate pheasant with succulent pork, all enlivened by an aromatic red-wine marinade.
Prepared ahead with ease, this charcuterie tastes wonderful hot or cold and pairs perfectly with a crisp green salad or tangy pickles.
Origins of Pheasant Terrine
Pheasant terrine traces its roots to French gastronomy, where terrines and pâtés have long been cherished for preserving—and elevating—the flavors of meat and game.
In centuries past, pheasant graced aristocratic and royal tables, prized for its tender flesh and subtle flavor. Encasing the meat in a terrine—slow-cooked, then stored in its own fat (much like the celebrated rillons de tours)—not only preserved it but also intensified its taste.
Tips for a Perfect Pheasant Terrine
Ingredient quality: Choose fresh, top-grade meats. Ensure the pheasant is meticulously cleaned and completely deboned to avoid any tough bits.
The marinade: Let the meat soak for plenty of time—ideally overnight—so the flavors can fully permeate.
Meat grinding: Mix the minced meats thoroughly until the stuffing is perfectly uniform. A food processor will make this step quick and effortless.
Seasoning: Taste the stuffing before cooking and adjust the seasoning as needed. The salt and spices should enhance, not overpower, the pheasant.
Cooking: Cover the terrine for the initial stage to lock in moisture, then uncover for the final 30 minutes so the top can brown gently.
Cooling: Allow the terrine to cool completely before unmolding. This makes slicing easier and gives the flavors time to meld.
Recipe by Céline
Pheasant Terrine with Red Wine
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
- 2 Onions chopped
- 1 Bouquet garni
- 2 Cloves
- 1 A pinch of pepper
- 2 Carrots sliced
- 600 ml of red wine
Terrine Ingredients
- 1 kg of pheasant
- 700 g of pork jowl
- 300 g of pork belly
- 3 teaspoons of coarse salt
Procédé
- Remove all the bones from the pheasant, cut the meat into cubes, and set aside a few neat strips of breast fillet.
- Dice the pork belly, too.
- For the marinade, combine the onions, bouquet garni, cloves, Madagascar pepper, carrots and red wine.
- Marinate the pheasant in this mixture for at least 12 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Grind the pheasant and pork, marinade included, but keep the reserved fillet strips whole.
- Mix the ground meat with the coarse salt.
- Line a terrine dish with a layer of fatback strips.
- Arrange the pheasant fillet strips in the center.
- Spoon the minced meat mixture into the terrine, pressing it down firmly.
- Top with additional fatback strips.
- Cover the terrine and bake for 1 hour.
- Uncover and bake for a further 30 minutes.
- Allow to cool completely before serving.
