Recipe: Wild Boar Head Terrine

The day before

1 Soak your boar head halves in water for 12 hours, changing the water every 3 hours.

The day itself

2 In a very large pot, place the 2 head halves, the pork foot halves, the pork meat and tongue. Then add the sliced onions, carrots and shallots, the garlic head cut in half, thyme, bay leaf, red wine and vinegar. Cover with water, making sure it rises at least 5 cm above the meat.

3 Bring to a boil and add the pepper and salt.

4 Cook at a very low simmer for 3 hours, skimming off impurities as they rise to the surface.

5 Your ingredients are cooked. Carefully remove the meat pieces with a slotted spoon and place them on a tray. Gently strain your sauce through a fine sieve and reduce it until it reaches a syrupy consistency.

6 On your cutting board, while the meat is still warm, remove all the cooked meat from around the head halves and then from the feet, stripping the flesh from the bones. Once you have all the cooked meats in front of you, cut them into large chunks and mix them all together well.

Finishing

7 Line your cake moulds (Teflon or flexipan) with strips of lard on the bottom and sides so they reach the top. Add some of the cooked meat, then cover with a little cooking liquid. Add more cooked meat, then a final layer and cover with liquid. Let cool with a small board on top and a small weight, then refrigerate for at least 1 day.

8 This recipe makes 2 wild boar head terrines. You can also make this with pig's head, and if you can find Noir de Bigorre, it will be even better.

9 To serve, turn out onto a board, slice with a thin knife into fairly thick slices, and serve for example with lamb's lettuce salad and a quenelle of old-fashioned mustard.