Game terrine is often on restaurant menus and always looks so impressive, but you will be surprised to know that it's simple enough to make at home too.
Delicious as a starter, lunch or buffet for gatherings, this French classic uses any game that you have, or can just be made with chicken if you prefer.
The flavours include garlic, sherry and shallots and the whole mix is wrapped in bacon, so that it slices beautifully when it's cold.
Perfect for making in advance too and it even freezes well.
Bon appétit!
I've been making different versions of this game terrine for many years and I cannot stress enough that it's so easy. I always used to think that it must be complicated to make and also worry that it wouldn't slice.
Don't worry, it turns out perfect every time!
In fact, this dish is primarily about assembling the ingredients then baking and chilling overnight. It's all done in simple steps too.
It's delicious for a posh picnic, an elegant starter, a buffet for friends or part of a sharing board or easy supper.
The great thing is that you can easily vary the ingredients, according to what you have or prefer, so it doesn't cost too much to make.
It also feeds a crowd if it needs to or can be safely frozen for another time.
Why you will love this recipe
- Serves 10
- Easy to prepare and cook
- Make in advance
- Freezable
- Customisable recipe
- Elegant and immpressive
Jump to:
🥘 Ingredients
- Bacon - smoked streaky bacon or bacon from the belly. This will create an outer casing for the terrine.
- Liver - pork liver.
- Pork - pork mince
- Shallots - I prefer banana shallots or lomg shallots as they have a sweeter flavour for this dish.
- Garlic - garlic cloves.
- Herbs - dried mixed herbs and dried bay leaves.
- Game - any game of your choice such as a mix, including venison, pheasant, duck, pigeon or partridge. Skin removed. as it will become slimy when cooked.
- Sherry - cream sherry, which helps to tenderise the game.
- Seasoning - flaked sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍽 Equipment
- 1 litre or 2 lb terrine dish with lid - or a loaf tin and kitchen foil
- Sharp knife
- Deep roasting dish
- Food processor/blender - for the liver or just finely chop
🔪 Instructions
Slice the game into long strips, roughly 1 centimetre or half an inch.
Put the pieces in a bowl with half of the seasoning and the sherry.
Stir well and leave to marinate while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared.
Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
Put the bacon rashers on a board and use the back of a knife to gently stretch them.
They should be about a third longer and it really doesn't matter if they start to fall apart.
Use the bacon to line the base of the terrine. They can overlap slightly and doesn't need to be exact.
💭 Top Tip
- Don't worry about the bacon being too neat. When it cooks the fat drains mostly away and the bacon forms a protective layer around the game terrine, making it easy to slice.
Rinse the liver and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut into chunks and blend in a food processor into small pieces.
💭 Top Tip
- If you don't have a food processor or a blender then use a sharp knife to finely chop the liver.
Put the chopped liver, pork mince, onion and garlic in a large bowl with the dried herbs and the remainder of the seasoning.
Mix well and roughly divide the mixture into 3 portions in the bowl.
Place a third of the mixture into the terrine, pressing well into the corners and levelling flat.
Add half of the game strips and sherry in an even layer.
Repeat the layers and finish with the remaining liver mix.
Pull the bacon rashers over the terrine, but don't worry if the bacon doesn't completely cover the meat mixture.
Add the bay leaves.
Cover the terrine with foil and tuck around the edges to make a seal then add the lid.
Put the terrine in a deep roasting dish and pour boiling water from a kettle into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.
⏲️ Baking Time
Preheat the oven to 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5 and bake for 2 hours.
Remove the lid and foil and leave to cool for 10 minutes to allow any fat to come to the surface. Use a spoon to remove the fat.
💭 Top Tip
- Spoon the fat into a container and leave to cool in the fridge until it solidifies. Scrape into the bin. Please don't be tempted to pour it down the sink as it will clog your drains and the sewers!
Replace the foil and use some tins or a similar weight to flatten the terrine overnight.
This will ensure that all the air is removed from the terrine and the meat is compact for clean slicing.
Slice the game terrine into slices about half an inch thick and serve with crusty bread and pickles.
🥗 Side Dishes
- Red onion chutney
- Fougasse Bread
- Carrot and Celeriac Remoulade
- Cornichons
- Baguette
Substitutions
- Game - replace with strips of duck or chicken.
- Pork liver - use chicken livers if you prefer. They do have a milder sweeter taste.
📖 Variations
- Asparagus - add a layer of raw asparagus for extra colour.
- Vegetables - add a layer of green beans, sun dried tomatoes or peppers.
- Nuts - walnuts or pistachios add an extra crunch.
Storage
- Refrigerator - store wrapped in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezer - slice and freeze in individual portions for up to 1 month. It's easier to separate with pieces of parchment then wrap everything well.
FAQs
A terrine is normally made by lining the dish with bacon, layering meats and sometimes vegetables, then cooked in a water bath in the oven. It is served in slices, normally for a starter.
A pâté is often cooked in the same way but the meats are minced before cooking so that the pâté can be spread on bread. Pâté can be course or smooth.
With a parfait the meat is cooked first and then passed through a sieve to achieve a smooth mixture. Cream and butter are often added for added richness, along with brandy or other alcohol. I should point out that the term parfait, when discussing a savoury dish, is more used by the British than French. A parfait in French, related to a smooth dessert.
Let me know what you think in the comments or you can post a picture and tag me on Twitter @chezlereve, Instagram @chezlerevefrancais, or Facebook @chezlerevefrancais
More recipes like this
Game recipes
- Roast Venison Haunch
- Venison Burgers
- Pigeon Breast with Blackberry Sauce
- Roast Partridge with Shallots
- Venison Sausage Plait
- Guinea Fowl with Chestnuts and Bacon
More light dishes
📋 Recipe
Game Terrine
Equipment
- 1 litre or 2 lb terrine dish with lid - or a loaf tin and kitchen foil
- sharp knife
- deep roasting dish
- Food processor/blender - for the liver or just finely chop
Ingredients
- 125 g smoked streaky bacon
- 225 g pork liver
- 500 g pork mince
- 2 shallots long
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
- 225 g mixed game
- 4 tablespoon sherry
- 4 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Slice the game into long strips and place the pieces in a bowl with half of the seasoning and the sherry. Stir well and leave to marinate.
- Peel and finely chop the shallots and garlic.
- Put the bacon rashers on a board and use the back of a knife to gently stretch them.
- Use the bacon to line the base of the terrine.
- Rinse the liver and pat dry with kitchen paper. Cut into chunks and blend in a food processor into small pieces.
- Put the chopped liver, pork mince, onion and garlic in a large bowl with the dried herbs and the remainder of the seasoning.
- Mix well and roughly divide the mixture into 3 portions in the bowl.
- Place a third of the mixture into the terrine, pressing well into the corners and levelling flat.
- Add half of the game strips and sherry in an even layer.
- Repeat the layers and finish with the remaining liver mix.
- Pull the bacon rashers over the terrine and lay the bay leaves on top.
- Cover the terrine with foil and tuck around the edges to make a seal then add the lid.
- Put the terrine in a deep roasting dish and pour boiling water from a kettle into the dish to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.
- Preheat the oven to 160 C / 310 F / 140 FAN / Gas 2.5 and bake for 2 hours.
- Remove the lid and foil and leave to cool for 10 minutes to allow any fat to come to the surface. Use a spoon to remove the fat.
- Replace the foil and use some tins or a similar weight to flatten the terrine overnight.
- Slice the terrine into slices about half an inch thick and serve with crusty bread and pickles.
Disclaimer: The nutritional information provided is approximate and is calculated using online tools. Information can vary depending on various factors, but we have endeavoured to be as accurate as possible.
Detailed instructions for this recipe, including step by step photographs, hints and tips, can be found in the main article.
Food Safety
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using gas.
Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I love to read them and answer your questions. However, due to spam comments, I do have to moderate each one, so don't worry if you cannot see your comment immediately. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can.
Perlito
I got my new appetizer to my guest thanks for sharing specialty's
Michele
This looks so enticing that I'm going to give it a try this weekend. I can't wait.
Rachna
Your detailed instructions are really helpful. The terrine looks so fancy too. Must try it soon. Thanks.
Danielle
This is right up my alley! I absolutely cannot wait to make this over the weekend. It sounds so delicious!
Helen
Love your detailed step-by-step instructions here. Thanks for sharing!
Ieva
Wow, what a wonderful starter! I would have never thought to try and make terrine at home, but reading through your post, I think it's very achievable! Thanks for this wonderful idea 🙂
Mairead
I love that you serve this terrine with red onion chutney. The meat terrine is extra delicious with the added splash of sherry. Thank you for such a detailed tutorial.
Claudia Lamascolo
I had this once and loved it now I can make my own thanks to your post and everything is better with bacon!
Jacqueline Meldrum
Would never have thought of adding sherry. Great idea.!
Vanessa
This terrine is great, and such an elegant starter that all my friends loved!
kushigalu
Never tried something like this before. sounds very interesting. Pinned to make this soon/