Recipe: Duck Terrine Forestiere

Name: Duck Terrine Forestiere
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 120 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: Makes one terrine for 6 guests:; 2 duck fillets; 10.5 oz (300 gr) of veal stuffing; 10.5 oz (300 gr) of lean pork stuffing (ask your butcher); 2 duck livers (or 3 de poultry livers); 1.1 oz (30 g) of dry boletus mushrooms; 0.4 cup (10 cl) of white wine; 4 thin slices of fatty bacon; 2 shallots; 0.4 oz (10 g) of starch; 3 whole eggs; 1 teaspoon of allspice; salt and freshly ground pepperthyme and a bayleaf0.7 oz (20 gr) of pistachios

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (35 reviews) · 🍳 32 made it

Prep 45 min

Cook 120 min

Total 2h45

Servings 6 serv.

Duck Terrine Forestière is a game pâté with real chunks. Two days of prep: diced and sliced duck fillets, veal and pork forcemeat, chopped livers, dried ceps rehydrated in white wine, whole pistachios. Bake 2h15 in a water bath, then refrigerate at least three days for flavours to blend. Slice at room temperature with toasted bread or plain green salad.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

Makes one terrine for 6 guests:
2 duck fillets
10.5 oz (300 gr) of veal stuffing
10.5 oz (300 gr) of lean pork stuffing (ask your butcher)
2 duck livers (or 3 de poultry livers)
1.1 oz (30 g) of dry boletus mushrooms
0.4 cup (10 cl) of white wine
4 thin slices of fatty bacon
2 shallots
0.4 oz (10 g) of starch
3 whole eggs
1 teaspoon of allspice

salt and freshly ground pepperthyme and a bayleaf

0.7 oz (20 gr) of pistachios

Step-by-step directions

The day before:

Remove any skin from the duck fillets, cut one of them into small squares and the other into slices that are approximately 1 cm wide. Season both fillets and set aside in a cool place.

Marinate the mushrooms in some white wine.

Remove any hard nerves from the duck liver. Chop the liver.

Put both stuffings in a large bowl, add the liver and season with salt and pepper.

Add the allspice, the starch, the eggs and a pinch of thyme. Mix with the duck squares and the pistachios.

Cover this and place in the refrigerator for one whole night.

The next day:

Drain the soaked mushrooms manually (to remove any dirt they might still have) and filter the white wine through a muslin (or a cofee filter). Next, dice the mushrooms and add them to the stuffing.

Take a porcelaine terrine and cover the bottom's width with the bacon strips so that they also cover the sides, reaching the brim of the terrine on each side. Fill the terrine with the stuffing.

Halfway through filling the terrine, place the duck slices throughout the length of the dish. Fill in with the remaining stuffing. If the bacon strips stick out from the edges of the terrine, fold the strips above the stuffing.

Place 2 shallots cut lengthwise in half and one bayleaf on top of the terrine and pour the white wine over it.

Cover and cook in the oven in a bain marie for 2 hours and 15 minutes at 350°F (355°F (180°C) or th6).

Once the terrine is done, let it cool. Place something heavy on top of it (2.2 lb (1 kg)) and then put it in the refrigerator until the next day.

Only then should you take off the weight you put on top.

Make sure the terrine stays at least 3 days in the fridge so that all of the different tastes melt together.

Serve with onion jam and thick toasted slices of bread (Poilane style bread). Of course, if you can afford it, you may also place a nice piece of duck foie gras in the center of the terrine without having to alter the recipe. You may serve this terrine with two original wines: an old Byrrh wine or a Jurançon "vendanges tardives".

A chef's advice

Duck Terrine Forestière is a year-end dish, something you make in November–December when game arrives at the market and you want to impress without roasting a whole bird. It's a Sunday at home, not a rushed meal. Seasonally, dried ceps are available year-round but cheapest October to January. Quality duck fillets come mainly from Périgord and Bresse, when poultry is well-fed. For occasions, it's perfect as a first course at holiday meals or for a relaxed Sunday with friends. You make it the day before or two days ahead, which is a real advantage when hosting. You can batch-make three or four and freeze them, good time investment. For wine, forget light reds. Go for dry whites with body: Meursault, Côtes du Jura blanc, even solid Chablis stands up to the richness of liver and lard. Red lovers might try a young Beaujolais village, but white really leads here. As an aperitif, Sancerre or Pouilly-Fumé work well too. For sides, keep it simple: toasted bread, cornichons, pickled white onions. No butter needed, the terrine has lard already. A bitter green salad, rocket or chicory, cleanses the palate between bites. A handful of cracked walnuts, and you're done.

Frequently asked questions

Can you substitute dried ceps with other wild mushrooms?

Yes, but flavour shifts. Try dried girolles or chanterelles, less earthy. Skip button mushrooms, they add nothing. Same amount: 10 grams. Rehydrate in white wine like ceps, strain through cheesecloth to keep just the clear liquid.

How long does duck terrine keep in the fridge?

Sealed and chilled, up to one week maximum. The lard preserves somewhat, but liver oxidises gradually. To keep longer, wrap tightly in cling film and freeze up to three months. Thaw 24 hours in the fridge, never at room temperature.

Why press the terrine after cooking?

To expel air and compact the forcemeat. Prevents crumbling when you slice and helps flavours meld. A board and 1 kg weight is enough. Cool first, then press overnight. Skip this step and you'll get an unpleasant crumbly texture.