Pork and apple terrine with mustard and cornichons

Serves - 8 as a starter

You’ll need

• 12–14 rashers smoked streaky bacon
• 500g minced pork shoulder
• 250g good-quality pork sausage meat
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 small eating apple, peeled, cored and cut into small dice
• 1 tbsp butter
• 50g fresh breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
• 2 tbsp brandy or apple brandy, optional
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

To serve
• Dijon or wholegrain mustard
• Cornichons
• Toasted sourdough or crusty bread
• Dressed salad leaves, optional

Method

1. Prepare the tin

Heat the oven to 160°C fan. Lightly grease a 900g loaf tin, then line it with the streaky bacon, laying the rashers across the width of the tin and allowing the ends to hang over the sides.

Overlap them slightly so the terrine is completely lined. It need not look perfect, but obvious gaps are best avoided unless you particularly enjoy structural surprises.

2. Soften the onion and apple

Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium-low heat. Add the onion with a small pinch of salt and cook gently for 5–6 minutes until softened but not coloured.

Add the garlic and diced apple and cook for another 3–4 minutes. The apple should begin to soften while keeping some shape. Take the pan off the heat and leave the mixture to cool.

3. Make the terrine mixture

Put the minced pork, sausage meat, breadcrumbs, egg, Dijon mustard, sage, thyme, nutmeg, brandy if using, salt and black pepper into a large bowl.

Add the cooled onion and apple mixture, then combine everything thoroughly with clean hands or a sturdy wooden spoon. The mixture should feel evenly seasoned and well bound, rather than like several separate ingredients sharing a bowl under protest.

4. Test the seasoning

Fry a teaspoonful of the mixture in a small pan until completely cooked, then taste it. Adjust the salt, pepper or herbs in the remaining mixture if needed.

It may seem like an unnecessary extra step, but discovering an under-seasoned terrine after it has baked, cooled and spent the night in the fridge is considerably more irritating.

5. Fill the terrine

Pack the pork mixture firmly into the bacon-lined tin, pressing it well into the corners and smoothing the surface.

Fold the overhanging bacon across the top to enclose the filling. Cover the tin tightly with a layer of baking paper followed by foil.

6. Bake in a water bath

Put the loaf tin into a deep roasting tray and pour enough freshly boiled water into the tray to come halfway up the sides of the tin.

Bake for 1½–1¾ hours until the terrine is completely cooked through, with no pink meat remaining in the centre. A metal skewer inserted into the middle should come out piping hot.

7. Press and chill

Carefully lift the terrine from the water bath and remove the foil and baking paper. Pour away any excess liquid from the tin, then cover the surface again with fresh baking paper.

Place another loaf tin or a small board on top and weigh it down with a couple of tins. Leave to cool, then refrigerate overnight with the weight still in place. This presses everything into neat slices and gives the flavours time to settle down and become properly acquainted.

8. Turn it out

Remove the weights and run a small knife carefully around the edges of the terrine. Dip the base of the tin briefly into hot water, then turn it out onto a board.

For a little extra colour, place the terrine under a hot grill for a few minutes until the bacon is lightly crisped, then leave it to cool again before slicing.

9. Serve

Cut the terrine into generous slices and serve at cool room temperature with mustard, plenty of cornichons and toasted sourdough or crusty bread.

The sharp mustard and pickles are not decorative extras here – they bring exactly the acidity and crunch needed to cut through the richness of the pork.

A couple of helpful notes
- Pork shoulder provides plenty of flavour and moisture. Very lean pork mince can leave the finished terrine rather dry.
- Make the terrine at least one day ahead. It slices more neatly and tastes better once thoroughly chilled and rested.
- Kept well covered in the fridge, the terrine will remain good for up to 3 days.