In several of the finest of Rome’s gastronomie (prepared food shops) and rosticcerie, one finds a reading of this coarse sort of country pâté, prepared by the Romans with the prowess of French charcutiers. Sometimes, its middle will hide the Cognac-steeped livers of game, while others are studded with hazelnuts or truffles or wild mushrooms. This one, though, has become one of our “house” terrines. Some evenings, we like to make a supper of it and a good bread and wine. We have been known, more than once, to use it to build little panini, sandwiches, which we wrap in yellow napkins and hide inside my purse with a small silver flask of red wine to take with us over the mountain to Chianciano when we go to see a film. It tastes so good in the dark.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 8 to 10
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Step 2
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients, mixing them vigorously until well combined. Pat the mixture into a terrine constructed of terra-cotta, enameled cast iron, or ceramic, compacting it nicely.
Step 3
Place the terrine in a larger pan with several inches of hot water, covering it with its own lid or one fashioned from aluminum foil and bake the terrine for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Lift its lid and if the juices of the meat are running clear rather than pink, the terrine is cooked.
Step 4
Remove the terrine from the oven. Remove its lid and place several thicknesses of foil over its surface. Weight the terrine with some heavy object, permitting it to cool thoroughly. Remove the weight and the foil, re-covering the terrine tightly with plastic wrap—and its own lid—refrigerating it for a day or two. Slice the terrine at table or turn it out onto a board, cutting it into thin slices.
