Potjevleesch (Flemish Potted Meat Terrine) golden and crispy

Name: Potjevleesch (Flemish Potted Meat Terrine)
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 240 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: One of the mythical dishes of the North meaning; 1 farm chicken of 3.25 lb (1.5 kg) cut into 8 pieces; 1 farm rabbit only 1 saddle and 2 thighs; 10.5 oz (300 g) of farm pork shoulder; 2 veal feet cut in half; 2 large yellow onions sliced; 3 cloves of garlic germinated and crushed; 7 oz (200 g) of shallots chopped; 1 bouquet garni; 1 untreated lemon wiped and finely sliced; 0.4 cup (10 cl) of good white alcohol vinegar; 1.1 qt (1 liter) of dry white wine*; 0.3 oz (8 gr) of cracked pepper grains (crushed with the bottom of a pot) and fresh herbs; salt

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.8/5 (50 reviews) · 🍳 34 made it

Potjevleesch (Flemish Potted Meat Terrine), slow-simmered the old-fashioned way — Photo : Aftouch-cuisine

Prep 30 min

Cook 240 min

Total 4h30

Servings 8 serv.

Potjevleesch is the ultimate Northern French terrine: farm-raised chicken, rabbit and pork braised for 3h15 at 150°C, then set in terrine for 48 hours. Spanish influence added lemon to the recipe. Serve cold, sliced, with its homemade aspic.

Ingredients for 8 servings

Adjust for

servings

One of the mythical dishes of the North meaning
1 farm chicken of 3.25 lb (1.5 kg) cut into 8 pieces
1 farm rabbit only 1 saddle and 2 thighs
10.5 oz (300 g) of farm pork shoulder
2 veal feet cut in half
2 large yellow onions sliced
3 cloves of garlic germinated and crushed
7 oz (200 g) of shallots chopped
1 bouquet garni
1 untreated lemon wiped and finely sliced
0.4 cup (10 cl) of good white alcohol vinegar
1.1 qt (1 liter) of dry white wine*
0.3 oz (8 gr) of cracked pepper grains (crushed with the bottom of a pot) and fresh herbs
salt

Step-by-step recipe

1 In a large round pot (style le creuset) put butter and oil and brown the chicken cut into 8, the saddle in 4, the rabbit thighs in 2 and the shoulder cut into 4 large pieces.

2 Preheat your oven to 150°(th5)

3 Once everything is well browned, add the garlic, onions and sliced shallots, lemon slices the bouquet garni. sweat covered for 10 minutes then add the vinegar white wine, veal feet, 0.8 cup (20 cl) of water salt and pepper with the mignonnette

Cook in the oven covered very gently for 3h15

4 Then open and carefully remove with a skimmer the pieces of meat and poultry (decant) by placing them one by one on your board

5 Then carefully remove all the bones and make 4 small piles: the rabbit meat, that of the chickens, that of the pork and that of the feet

6 In a porcelain or glazed earthenware terrine arrange your meats in layers pressing as you go and alternating finely chopped fresh herbs (parsley chervil tarragon chives etc..), finally drizzle gently with the cooking juice strained and let cool in the air.

7 Place

A chef's advice

Potjevleesch is a Sunday dish, the kind you make when you have time and want to impress at the table. Historically it's a Flemish classic, marked by centuries of Spanish occupation that left traces in local cooking, hence that hit of lemon. You cook it mostly from October to March, when farm-raised meats are at their peak and the oven won't overheat the kitchen. Poultry and rabbits from small Northern producers are available year-round, but they gain flavor when temperatures drop. Farm pork is easy to source from a trusted butcher who can pick you something well-marbled. For wine, try a dry white from the North, a Muscadet or Gros Plant to stay regional, or something rounder like a white Côtes du Jura. A Chablis works too, its acidity grabs the aspic well. Avoid light reds, the dish's richness crushes them. For sides, simple green salad with shallots, maybe homemade cornichons if you have them, and good brioche or country bread to soak up the aspic. It's a dish you enjoy at leisure, no fuss, over several hours.

Frequently asked questions

How long does Potjevleesch keep in the refrigerator?

Four to five days maximum once unmoulded and sliced. The covered terrine lasts a week. Don't freeze it: the aspic becomes grainy on thawing and meat texture suffers. Consume fresh.

What size terrine do I need for this recipe?

A long 25-28 cm terrine in porcelain or glazed earthenware. Check it holds at least 1.5 litres. It must be deep enough to layer meat firmly. A casserole won't work: different result.

How do I remove meat from bones without shredding it?

Wait for everything to cool slightly, then gently pull apart with a fork, separating meat and bone while still slightly warm. Too hot it shreds, too cold it sticks to bone. Work gently and patiently.