French Country Terrine

This classic recipe for French Country Terrine is made with ground pork, veal, and calves’ liver, wrapped in bacon, and cooked in a water bath. The result is a flavorful French pâté that can serve as the perfect elegant starter for a dinner party or as a decadent snack.

I’ll admit that this recipe is a bit out of the ordinary for me. I know you usually expect fairly easy, family-friendly fare from me, but every once in a while I really enjoy expanding my culinary horizons and making something I’ve never done before. It’s the challenge, really, that intrigues me.

This French Country Terrine checks all the boxes! It’s made by mixing pork, veal, and calves liver, wrapping it in bacon, and then letting it simmer in a water bath until it’s ready to slice and serve.

It may look complicated at first, but it’s really a simple dish, nothing more than a fancy meatloaf actually, and will surely impress your dinner guests with its deep flavor and rich texture.

A terrine, in traditional French cuisine, is a loaf of forcemeat (ground meat) or aspic, that is cooked in a covered pottery mold (also called a terrine) in a bain-marie (hot water bath). Terrines are typically served cold or at room temperature. It can be made with many different ingredients such as fruits, fish, vegetables, or different kinds of meats as in this recipe.

The classic French terrine is typically served as a first course or may be part of a picnic. It’s usually enjoyed with slices of baguette, good Dijon mustard, and cornichons. A nice little glass of wine goes well, too!

• It’s an elegant recipe that’s much easier to make than you may think.
• It’s encased in bacon which adds a salty, smoky flavor that pairs well with the meats.
• The mixture of calf liver, pork, and veal pair together very well and have a beautiful, earthy taste.
• It’s the perfect appetizer to bring to a fancy dinner party or to serve on special holidays.
• It contains liver which has many health benefits including natural vitamins and minerals.

Preliminaries

Start by melting the butter in a small sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions, cooking them until they are soft but taking care not to let them brown at all.

Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove the onion-garlic mixture from the heat, stir in the brandy and let this cool while you proceed with the recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the Meats

Combine the meats in a large mixing bowl. That’s the ground pork, ground veal, and calves’ liver pictured above.

TIP: I can’t source fresh calves’ liver anywhere near me, but it is available frozen. If using frozen, let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator and it will be just fine. Also, if you don’t care for the taste of calves’ liver, you can either (1) substitute an equal amount of chicken livers for a milder flavor, or (2) substitute an additional 8 ounces of ground veal. If you choose option 2, your terrine will have a much milder taste and you may find that you need more seasonings.

Add the Onion and Garlic Mixture

To the meats, add the onion-garlic mixture and all remaining ingredients except bacon. Mix thoroughly.

You can mix everything with a wooden spoon and a strong arm, but I find that this is much easier done in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment on the lowest possible speed.

TIP: It’s very important to stop at this point and test your mixture for seasonings. Form a quarter-sized patty of the mixture and cook it in a small skillet. Taste to check for seasonings and adjust if necessary. Repeat until you’re satisfied with the taste of your mixture.

Line and Fill the Mold

Using the flat side of a knife, stretch the bacon to about twice its length. This is easiest done by pulling the bacon gently against the dull side of the knife as shown in the photo above.

Line a ceramic terrine or a simple loaf pan with bacon strips. Cut the bacon strips in half to line the short ends. Allow the ends of the bacon to drape over the sides of the pan.

Pack the meat mixture into the terrine or loaf pan making sure not to leave any air pockets in the mixture. In the photo, I’m using a somewhat smaller terrine so my mixture mounds on top a bit. If you’re using a loaf pan, you’ll have plenty of room to press the mixture down into the pan.

Fold the overhanging bacon strips over the top and sides of the mixture adding additional strips to cover the top if needed.

Seal the Terrine

Cover the top with a piece of parchment paper, then cover the terrine with foil.

Cook the Terrine

Set the terrine inside a roasting or baking pan and pour enough boiling water in the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the terrine. Place in the oven and cook for 1 to 2 hours.

TIP: A precise cooking time is difficult to state because it depends so much on the size of terrine or loaf pan you use. You’ll need to test the mixture starting after one hour of cooking. Use an instant read meat thermometer for best results. The mixture should be at 160 degrees to be fully cooked.

Remove the terrine from the water and let it cool completely at room temperature.

Press the Terrine

Cut a piece of cardboard to fit over the cooked terrine in the pan. Wrap the cardboard in foil. Place it on top of the terrine and top it with a heavy can, a foil-wrapped brick, or some other heavy object to provide weight, and refrigerate overnight.

Remove the terrine from the mold. Slice and serve with baguette, Dijon mustard, and cornichons.

• It’s very important to test the mixture for adequate seasonings. To check if the correct amount of seasoning is added to the meat, shape a small amount into a patty and fry until cooked through. Taste and adjust seasonings as necessary.
• Let the onion and garlic cool completely before adding them to the ground meat.
• To make sure the meat is evenly combined, use a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.
• Make sure the terrine is cooled before putting it into the fridge to set.
• To make this recipe alcohol-free, skip the brandy and deglaze the pan with broth or water.

• Add in some chopped walnuts, pecans, or pistachios for a nutty taste and crunchy texture.
• For a crispy bacon topping, when the terrine is fully cooked, take it out of the water bath, remove the parchment paper and foil, and broil for 1-2 minutes or until the top is crispy.
• Use chicken liver for a milder liver flavor.

• Storing: Cooked terrine can last in the fridge for up to one week if stored in an airtight container or plastic bag with the air removed completely.
• Freezing: Terrine can be frozen by wrapping slices in plastic wrap, then foil and then placing in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. You can also use a vacuum sealer. Stays fresh in the freezer for 3-4 months.

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Questions? I’m happy to help!

If you have more questions about the recipe, or if you’ve made it and would like to leave a comment, scroll down to leave your thoughts, questions, and/or rating!

Thanks so much for stopping by!

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French Country Terrine

This classic French Country Terrine makes an elegant starter course served with baguette slices, mustard, and cornichons.

4.84 from 12 votes

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Course: Appetizers

Cuisine: French

Prep Time: 25 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 20 servings

Calories: 195kcal

Author: Lana Stuart

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 tablespoons butter
• ▢ 1 small onion finely chopped
• ▢ 3 cloves garlic minced
• ▢ ¼ cup brandy
• ▢ 1 pound ground pork
• ▢ 8 ounces calves liver coarsely chopped
• ▢ 8 ounces ground veal
• ▢ 1 ¼ cups breadcrumbs
• ▢ 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoon chopped fresh chives
• ▢ ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ▢ 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• ▢ Pinch ground cloves
• ▢ Pinch ground nutmeg
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
• ▢ 3 eggs
• ▢ 8 ounces sliced bacon

Instructions

• Melt the butter in a skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft taking care not to let the onions brown. Add the garlic and cook for an additional minute. Remove from the heat, add the brandy and let cool while you proceed with the recipe.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the meats in a large mixing bowl. Add the onion mixture, and remaining ingredients except bacon. Mix thoroughly.
• Fry a quarter-sized patty, check for seasonings and adjust if necessary.
• Using the back side of a knife, stretch each bacon slice to about twice its length.
• Line a terrine or loaf pan with bacon strips. Cut strips in half to line the short ends. Allow the ends of the bacon to drape over the sides of the pan.
• Pack the meat mixture into the terrine or loaf pan making sure not to leave any air pockets in the mixture. Press down evenly molding a slightly mounded top. Fold the overhanging bacon strips over the top and sides of the mixture adding additional strips to cover the top if needed.
• Cover the top with a piece of parchment paper, then cover the terrine with foil.
• Put the terrine in a roasting or baking pan and pour enough boiling water in the pan to come about halfway up the sides of the terrine.
• Place in the oven and cook for 1 to 2 hours. Test with a meat thermometer to judge when cooking is complete. Mixture should be at 160 degrees to be fully cooked.
• Remove the terrine from the water and cool completely at room temperature.
• Place a heavy can, a foil-wrapped brick or some other heavy object on top of the terrine and refrigerate overnight.
• Slice and serve with baguette, Dijon mustard, and cornichons.

Notes

• It’s very important to test your mixture for seasonings. Form a quarter-sized patty of the mixture and cook it in a small skillet. Taste to check for seasonings and adjust if necessary. Repeat until you’re satisfied with the taste of your mixture.
• Storing: Cooked terrine can last in the fridge for up to one week if stored in an airtight container or plastic bag with the air removed completely.
• Freezing: Terrine can be frozen by wrapping slices in plastic wrap, then foil and then placing in a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. You can also use a vacuum sealer. Stays fresh in the freezer for 3-4 months.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 | Calories 195kcal | Carbohydrates 6g | Protein 12g | Fat 13g | Saturated Fat 5g | Trans Fat 1g | Cholesterol 99mg | Sodium 408mg | Potassium 194mg | Fiber 1g | Sugar 1g | Vitamin A 4533IU | Vitamin C 1mg | Calcium 26mg | Iron 2mg

Nutrition information is calculated by software based on the ingredients in each recipe. It is an estimate only and is provided for informational purposes. You should consult your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.

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